


there goes my heart beating (you are the reason)

by comebackbehere



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-11
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-05-05 09:39:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 30,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14615517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comebackbehere/pseuds/comebackbehere
Summary: Cheryl is soft when it comes to her girlfriend and Toni basks in the knowledge of it.ora bunch of oneshots for Choni





	1. you can't always get what you want (but you do)

Cheryl Blossom is  _not_ weak. She isn’t. She doesn’t cave when people plead, and she barely bats an eye at a pitiful pout. Or at least she  _didn’t_. And then Toni Topaz comes crashing into her world with wide, understanding brown eyes and a supportive touch…well, Cheryl can’t confidentiality say that she isn’t weak for everyone anymore. No, she has one special exception. One exception that is currently kneeling on their shared bed in nothing but red lace boy shorts and oversized t-shirt, and wearing a pout that makes Cheryl’s knees quake.

  
“We’re taking him to the shelter tomorrow.”

  
Toni huffs, “Cheryl.  _Please_. He needs me.”

  
“He does not need you.” Cheryl scoffs as she turns her attention to her closet. “I refuse to allow some furball to run around our house.”

  
“Mm, I love it when you call it  _our_ house.” Toni purrs, and Cheryl tenses at her low tone. “Think about how domesticated we’d be if we got a pet, it’s a step in the right direction.”

  
“No.”

  
“Cheryl. Baby. Beautiful. Bombshell.” Toni whines and Cheryl fails to hide a smile. “Please? Please! I promise I’ll take care of him all by myself, you won’t even know he’s here.”

  
Cheryl spins on her heels with a glare, “Promise?”

  
“Promise!” Toni exclaims as she bobs her head eagerly and bounces on her knees. “Does this mean I can keep him?”

  
“So long as he stays  _far_ away from me, I see no reason as to why he can’t stay.” Cheryl sighs with a wave of dismissal. “You better hold up on your end, TT. I expect you to…”

  
“You are the best girlfriend  _ever_.”

  
Cheryl heaves a long breath as Toni turns her attention back to the ball of orange fur in her lap. As she watches Toni coo at the tiny kitten, Cheryl reluctantly has to admit to herself that she really is weak when it comes to Toni.

  
-

  
Toni names him Blossom.

  
Cheryl protests the name for all of five minutes before she shuts up and just let’s Toni have her moment. Her girlfriend is already so in love with the small tabby kitten they found outside of Thistlehouse. Cheryl bites her lower lip as she wanders into the living room and pauses to stare at Toni who is laying on her back with Blossom held over her head. She knows Toni is going to kill her for it, but she can’t help but record a small moment and send it out in their friends group chat; Sweet Pea immediately responds, and she shakes her head as she reads his reply.

  
“Didn’t you ever want a pet?”

  
Cheryl looks up with a frown, “No. Although my parents did give JJ and I a cat for Christmas, but we gave him to another family.”

  
“Huh. Weird. I bet your mom didn’t really think all of that through.” Toni smirks as she sits up and nuzzles her face into Blossom’s fur. “Y’know, since lesbians and bisexuals just love pu…”

  
“Do  _not_ finish that joke, Toni Topaz.” Cheryl scolds, and Toni simply huffs. “Babe, if you’re going to keep him then you should probably get some stuff for him Petsmart.”

  
“Yeah. You’re right.” Toni hums as she stands with Blossom cradled gently in her hand. “Do you wanna take your car?”

  
Toni is so bestowed by the little thing that Cheryl doesn’t have the heart to tell her about her cat allergy.

  
-

  
“Toni, stop!”

  
“But you’re so perfect!”

  
Cheryl can’t help but giggle as she runs through the hallways of the empty house with Toni a few feet behind. As she swings herself around the banister and down the stairs, she is knocked breathless but how light she feels. By how happy she is. And it’s all because Toni is currently chasing her through the house with her camera poised and ready to take pictures. With a squeal, Cheryl hears the shutter of a photo being snapped right as she slides into the kitchen and ducks behind the counter. Her safety base lasts for a mere second before Toni scrambles onto the granite so she can lean over the edge to quickly capture Cheryl’s flushed cheeks and wide, breathless grin.

  
“Come on, I just need a few more.” Toni grins as she captures the image of Cheryl crawling away. “Huh. Gonna have to add that one to the spank bank.”

  
“You’re a pig, Topaz.” Cheryl scoffs.

  
“What? You’re the one who won’t let me take a picture of you. This is my hobby, Cheryl. You’re killing my talents.” Toni smirks, and Cheryl rolls her eyes only to be blinded by a flash. “You know, you really are adorable.”

  
“You do  _not_ need another picture of me, half of your albums are dedicated to me.” Cheryl points out as she gracefully stands. “Every time I turn around you’re taking pictures. Why don’t you let me photograph  _you_ for once?”

  
“Yeah. No. Not happening. You’re just so photogenic. I don’t know why you haven’t considered taking up modeling.” Toni shrugs as she glances down at the screen of her camera. “Can I please just take at least one picture that isn’t blurry?”

  
“Okay. I’ll take one. But only if you’re in it.” Cheryl replies as she reaches out to fist soft plaid before she pulls Toni towards her. “We need more pictures of us together.”

  
“Yeah?” Toni smiles.

  
Cheryl nods slowly, “Uh huh. I want to plaster you all over my social media, show Riverdale just who you belong to.”

  
“Am I just a trophy to you?” Toni gasps.

  
“Oh, no. Not at all. Clearly,  _I’m_ the trophy.” Cheryl shrugs, and Toni glares playfully at her. “You, my dear, are just a lucky winner.”

  
“Very lucky.” Toni agrees.

  
“You know,” Cheryl purrs as she plays with the buttons on Toni’s top. “We could probably put that camera of yours to good use. Have some  _real_ fun with it.”

  
Toni arches an eyebrow, “Yeah?”

  
“Mhm.” Cheryl grins. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

  
“I think so.” Toni replies, and Cheryl is almost blinded by the sudden appearance of her girlfriend’s bright smile. “A photoshoot with you and Blossom? You’re brilliant, babe.”

  
Cheryl gaps, “That isn’t…”

  
“I’m gonna go get him. We can shoot something outside, it’s beautiful out. In fact, if I get the right shot, we can post our first family photo.” Toni beams as she bounces happily. “Be right back!”

  
Toni runs off and Cheryl sighs as she shakes her head, only she would fall for someone so clueless to her advances.

  
-

  
“You should’ve named him Leroy.”

  
“Why the  _fuck_ would I name him Leroy?”

  
Cheryl sighs as she listens to Jughead and Toni argue while they play with Blossom in the living room. It came as a surprise to Cheryl when Toni came home with her herd of friends, but it wasn’t a surprise that her girlfriend pecked her lips and immediately went to find that damn cat. And since then, Cheryl has been entertaining the same people who make her want to play in traffic. A firm pout appears on her face as she continues to play hostess and turns to gather snacks from the kitchen, but she skids to a stop as she finds Fangs sitting on the counter swinging his legs.

  
“Why are you sitting on my  _very_ expensive granite?”

  
Fangs slides down with a blush, “Allergies. Sorry.”

  
“Not an excuse to sit on my counter, but I intend to let it slide for now. Unfortunately, I’m suffering the same fate as you.” Cheryl admits. “I just don’t want to tell Toni because she loves that damn thing so much, and I don’t want that to change.”

  
“Cute.” Fangs chuckles.

  
Cheryl glares at him, “Do  _not_ repeat that.”

  
“Babe, come show the gang the thing you do with Blossom’s paws.” Toni breathes out as she comes barreling into the kitchen.

  
“Must I?”

  
Toni sticks out her lower lip, “For me.”

  
“For you.” Cheryl grumbles after a moment of contemplating. “But no one can record it and I’m only doing it once. Got it?”

  
“Understood.” Toni nods, and Cheryl hums in surprise when her girlfriend presses a gentle kiss to her lips. “You’re the best.”

  
“As long as you know.” Cheryl replies, and she watches with a fond smile as Toni scurries out of the room. “Check the second cabinet in the downstairs bathroom, I’ve stocked up on Benadryl to avoid any complications.”

  
“Smart.” Fangs nods. “Thanks.

  
“Don’t mention it.” Cheryl shrugs.

  
With that, Cheryl brushes out of the room and holds her head high as she makes her way to the huddle on the living room floor. She ignores Archie’s smile, Veronica’s greeting, Sweet Pea’s sarcastic half-hearted remark, and Betty’s… _everything_ , and instead focuses on the bright smile on Toni’s face. She focuses on how her girlfriend leans into her instead of how her eyes begin to water as soon as she is too close to Blossom. Once again, she pushes it all aside and instead focuses on Toni’s giggles as Blossom bites at her fingers.

  
“We heard you like to play with his tummy, Cheryl. Toni won’t shut up about how cute it is.” Sweet Pea smirks as he slaps the back of his hand against Toni’s shoulder. “So, let’s see this magic.”

  
“Hit my girlfriend again and I’ll show you the type of magic that will make you disappear from existent, Pea.” Cheryl warns, but she keeps her attention on Blossom. “Pay attention, bottom feeders, I’m only going to do this once.”

  
-

  
Cheryl wakes up and is instantly in a bad mood. She rolls over and instead of being greeted with a kiss and warm arms, she is faced with that stupid cat sleeping where she should be. She isn’t sure why she’s surprised by the sight of this, Blossom has pretty much taken over the entire house. Even her Nana Rose can’t seem to put him down when she’s around, she just coos and holds him close to her chest. Cheryl doesn’t get it, sure he can be kind of cute but that meow sends shivers down her spine and she’d so just about anything to avoid having to deal with red, itchy eyes again.

  
“You are the spawn of Satan.” Cheryl hisses.

  
Blossom simply blinks in exhaustion.

  
With a huff, Cheryl slides out of bed and curls her robe around herself before she reluctantly leaves the warmth of their room. The morning light streams into the kitchen and Cheryl stretches lazily as she patters across cold tile. Like the amazing girlfriend she is, Cheryl begins to make Toni her favorite breakfast while she listens to the hiss of the coffee machine and the chirp of the birds. It’s so peaceful, up until she hears the tapping of Toni’s feet as she plucks around upstairs. Just as Cheryl is beginning to flip the first batch of chocolate chip pancakes, she hears the shuffle of footsteps and she smiles shyly as she feels Toni’s warmth.

  
Cheryl sighs as arms string around her waist, “Good morning.”

  
“G’morning.” Toni mumbles into her shoulder blade as she nuzzles their for a moment. “I woke up and you were gone.”

  
“I wanted to make you breakfast.” Cheryl explains as she nods to where she is flipping pancakes. “And you had Blossom to cuddle.”

  
“Yeah, but he’s not  _you_.”

  
“Cute.”

  
“Can I have my good morning kiss?” Toni asks softly.

  
Cheryl pauses, “Did you brush your teeth?”

  
“Yup.”

  
“Then yes you can.” Cheryl replies as she turns to press a lingering kiss to Toni’s lips. “Now, sit. I’m almost done.”

  
“Awesome. You’re the best.” Toni yawns.

  
“Tell me something I  _don’t_ know.” Cheryl sneers, and her eyes immediately narrow as Toni turns and she is met with the sight of Blossom curled in her girlfriend’s hood. “You’re going to drop that thing.”

  
“Nah, he’s good.” Toni assures her as she reaches over her shoulder to pull him free. “He knows better than to jump out.”

  
Cheryl rolls her eyes, “You put a lot of trust in a cat.”

  
“He’s smart.” Toni shrugs as she carefully sets the meowing kitten in front of herself.

  
“Not on the table.” Cheryl scolds.

  
“But he likes to feel tall.” Toni pouts even as she lifts Blossom back into her arms. “Do you think we can get him like a booster seat?”

  
Cheryl scoffs in answer, “No.”

  
“A tiny highchair?”

  
“No.”

  
“His own chair?”

  
“No.” Cheryl repeats. “He can eat on the floor.”

  
“We can’t make our son eat on the  _floor_.” Toni protests with a scowl. “Why would you even suggest something like that?”

  
“Because Blossom is a  _cat_ , and I refuse to share a table with him. I like to enjoy my meals with my girlfriend not a four legged beast.” Cheryl explains. “So, on the floor. Breakfast is ready.”

  
Toni sighs as she lifts Blossom to her face, “She doesn’t mean to be snarky. Take it from me, her snark means she loves you.”

  
“Floor, Antoinette.” Cheryl orders.

  
Toni arches an eyebrow as she leans over to set the kitten at her feet, “Sorry, little guy. She used my first name, she means business.”

 

Cheryl tries to hide her smile, but she fails as Toni immediately dives into her plate of pancakes while chattering about their plans for after school. As Cheryl sits across from her with egg whites and fruit, she can’t help but think of their future. She sees so many more mornings of this, so many nights of falling asleep beside Toni. She sees a forever and it stuns her, but her heart warms as soon as Toni nonchalantly mentions cleaning up  _their_ room and planning a get together at  _their_ house. It’s so perfect, and Cheryl is so happy. Even if she’s stuck with a god awful cat.

 

-

  
Cheryl is so in love with Toni.

  
And moments like now just remind her how deep that love goes. She is sitting with her chin propped in her hand and a content expression on her face as she watches Toni hover her hands over Blossom who is attached to the material of her beanie. They were halfway through their shared Biology class when Mr. Jameson left to take care of something and everyone had gone into an uproar when Toni pulled Blossom from her jacket. Cheryl isn’t really surprised by the sight of the kitten, but she definitely remembers telling Toni that she absolutely couldn’t bring Blossom to school.

  
“He’s so cute.” Ethel coos.

  
Toni flashes her a glance, “I know.”

  
“Lemme see him.” Sweet Pea orders.

  
“Fuck off. You’re not touching my son.” Toni sneers, and Sweet Pea huffs in defeat. “The only people allowed to touch him is his moms.”

  
Kevin snorts from beside her, “Congratulations on the new bundle of joy, Cheryl. I didn’t realize you and Toni were so…domesticated.”

  
“That  _thing_ is not my son.” Cheryl mumbles as she glares down at her textbook.

  
“Your girlfriend seems to think overwise.” Kevin points out with an amused smirk. “Do my eyes deceive me or is Cheryl Blossom whipped?”

  
Cheryl turns to him with a fiery glare, “Repeat those words and I will rip your tongue from your mouth. I am  _not_ whipped.”

  
“Babe!” Toni calls.

  
“Yes?”

  
Toni skips over and offers her the bundle of orange fur, “Will you hold Blossom? I need to beat up Sweet Pea.”

  
“Of course.” Cheryl sighs.

  
“Thank you.” Toni chirps.

  
Kevin snickers as Cheryl juggles the cat and watches Toni scurry off, “And you say you’re not whipped?”

  
“Shut it, Keller.”

  
But Cheryl knows he’s right. She’s so whipped, and it’s absolutely awful but she wouldn’t change it for anything.

  
-

  
Saturdays are Cheryl’s favorite day. There’s no school, no worry of drama, and she doesn’t have to worry about sharing Toni. No, Saturdays are  _their_ day and they spend it doing nothing. Occasionally, they’ll have a date night at Pop’s or the movie theater, but they pretty much spend most of their time lounging around in pajamas. Today, Cheryl is sketching on the couch while Toni kneels on the ground and giggles as she snaps pictures of Blossom playing with a piece of string. Sometimes it scares Cheryl with how comfortable she is, how  _happy_ she has become ever since she cut Penelope from her life and moved Toni in with her.

  
They just fit. They fall together like pieces that have always been missing from a puzzle. They work. And Cheryl sees forever in Toni’s eyes, she builds a home in Toni’s heart. She starts a new life in Thistlehouse with Toni, and she builds that life around her; she knows they’re meant to be and that’s enough to settle her. When she kisses her, Toni tastes like home and an endless amount of possibilities. She gives Cheryl strength, conversation, companionship, laughter, and most importantly love. She gives everything she has to Cheryl, and Cheryl responds in kind. For the first time since Jason died, Cheryl feels like she has someone in her corner.

  
“Are we ordering in tonight?” Toni asks.

  
Cheryl hums as she looks up, “If you want.”

  
“I think I want to cook tonight. I’m kind of in the mood for chicken. You think Nana Rose will want chicken?” Toni frowns. “If not, I’m sure I can whip up something else.”

  
“She’ll love whatever you make.” Cheryl assures her with a smile. “If you haven’t noticed, it seems like you’ve replaced me as the favorite granddaughter. She just adores you.”

  
Toni smirks over her shoulder, “I just have a special talent of charming anyone with the last name Blossom.”

  
“Sure.” Cheryl scoffs.

  
“Hey, I charmed  _you_!” Toni points out.

  
“If thinking that helps you sleep at night then I’m not going to shatter your little daydream.” Cheryl teases, and Toni immediately grumbles in protest. “So, chicken?”

  
“Yeah. We’ll see if I decide to make  _you_ a plate, you tease.” Toni pouts, and her eyes brighten as she picks up Blossom. “What do you think, little guy? Chicken sound good?”

  
“Babe, he isn’t going to answer you.” Cheryl warns as she focuses on filling in her doodle. “If you keep talking to him, people are going to think you’re crazier than you are.”

  
“Harsh.” Toni whines. “You’re so mean to me.”

  
“You think it’s hot.”

  
Toni arches an eyebrow, “I think  _you’re_ hot. Your attitude? Not so much.”

  
“My attitude is a part of me, Toni,” Cheryl points out, the amusement coloring her tone. “Are you saying you dislike me?”

  
“I don’t think anything resembling that accusation came out of my mouth.” Toni frowns as she slowly stands. “In fact, dare I say, I think that I might just be in love with you, Blossom.”

  
Cheryl rolls her eyes, “Wow. Declaring your love to the cat instead of me? Color me jealous.”

  
“Someone is feeling sassy.” Toni chuckles as she stands in front of the couch. “I think you need cuddles from Blossom.”

  
“No!” Cheryl exclaims.

  
“But he’s fluffy and cute.” Toni beams as she extends the kitten.

  
“I’m good.”

  
“Just one cuddle?”

  
Chery panics and barely manages to turn her head as she releases a sneeze, “Toni, get him away. I’m allergic.”

  
“What?” Toni scoffs as she pulls Blossom back.

  
“Cats.” Cheryl explains as she once again sneezes delicately into the crook of her elbow. “I’m…I’m allergic to cats.”

  
“Are you serious?”

  
“I am.” Cheryl nods, and she scrunches her nose as the sneezes finally begin to subside. “Why do you think my mother made us get rid of Sir Timothy when JJ and I were younger?”

  
“Cheryl, why didn’t you tell me?” Toni demands.

  
Cheryl shrugs as she glances lazily down at her painted nails, “I know how much you love the little devil. I didn’t want you to have to get rid of him just because he makes my sneeze.”

  
“Babe, that’s sweet but really fucking stupid.” Toni scoffs as she carries Blossom to the door and sets him outside the parlor doors. “I love  _you_ , and I don’t want you to be miserable because of a cat.”

  
“But…”

  
“I don’t want to hear it.” Toni cuts in, and her gaze turns soft as she approaches Cheryl. “Do you want to find him another home?”

  
“No. It’s fine. Really.” Cheryl assures her. “You adore him and I adore  _you_ so he can stay. The little bastard better stay away from me though.”

  
Toni laughs and leans down to press a kiss to Cheryl’s smiling lips, “You are ridiculous.”

  
“Yeah, but I’m hot.” Cheryl shrugs.

  
“Very.” Toni hums.

  
Cheryl sighs happily, “I love you.”

  
“I love you, too.”

  
-

  
Cheryl doesn’t know why she spoils Toni. She can’t figure out why she can’t just say no to her girlfriend when she asks for ridiculous things. For example, Cheryl is sitting with a stiff back as she stares at the couples that litter the floor and couches of her living room. Somehow Toni convinced her that having a dinner party (or a total boozefest, as Toni called it) with their friends would be a good idea. Honestly, Cheryl is trying not to kill someone. She’s trying to figure out when she began to tolerate Jughead, when she didn’t cringe anytime Betty spoke, and when a bile of disgust didn’t fill her throat at the sight of Archie and Veronica’s PDA. More importantly, she is stumped as to when she willingly became friends with a bunch of Serpents.

  
“You’re thinking too hard.”

  
Cheryl sighs, “Fangs is going to break that couch arm.”

  
“I’ll make him pay for it.” Toni assures her as she plops down into Cheryl’s lap. “Can you relax a little? You look miserable.”

  
“Not miserable, just puzzled.” Cheryl corrects, and she feels herself relax as she curls her arms around Toni’s waist. “Why did I agree to allow these people into our home?”

  
“Because these people are our  _friends_.” Toni chuckles. “And because I promised to do that thing with my tongue that you like.”

  
Cheryl tilts her head in thought, “Good point.”

  
“Thanks for doing this, babe,” Toni whispers as she presses a kiss to Cheryl’s hairline. “I know you’re not crazy about everyone here, but I really do appreciate you at least trying.”

  
“Anything for you.” Cheryl replies as she leans her forehead against Toni’s bicep. “How much longer am I going go be forced to endure their company?”

  
Toni laughs softly, “Well, if Jughead doesn’t stop trying to hide Blossom in his jacket then it’ll be sooner rather than later.”

  
“Would you like me to threaten him?”

  
“No. Leave the threatening to me.” Toni smirks, and Cheryl blushes as she feels the heavy gaze of her brown eyes. “Have I told you how beautiful you are today? I feel like I haven’t.”

  
“You haven’t.” Cheryl shrugs. “So, tell me.”

  
“You are  _gorgeous_.” Toni breathes out as she reaches up to cup Cheryl’s face. “My beautiful girl. I’m so lucky to have you.”

  
“Yes, yes you are.” Cheryl nods.

  
“You are something else, Bombshell.” Toni snorts as she presses her lips against a red painted smirk. “I don’t know why I put up with you.”

  
“Because I’m beautiful.” Cheryl drawls.

  
“Good point. You do make good arm candy.” Toni sighs with a thoughtful expression. “And I know you keep  _me_ around because my kisses are magical.”

  
“Excuse me? Are you five?”

  
“Nope. Just a badass Serpent with magical kisses that could cure just about any sickness.” Toni chirps with a bright smile. “Wanna see?”

  
Cheryl rolls her eyes, but she doesn’t protest when Toni cups her face and presses their lips together. Just like every time before, Cheryl melts. She feels her entire being melt into Toni, she feels her heart thudding heavily in her chest and screaming  _yours, yours, yours_  and she wants so badly to reach inside herself and pull it free so she can offer it to her girlfriend. Instead, she weaves a hand into pink locks and holds Toni to her. She holds onto the kiss for as long as her lungs will allow, and she knows she’d happily die right now if her lungs chose to wilt because she refused to part from Toni.

  
“Fuck. Get a room.” Sweet Pea scoffs as he slaps Toni upside the head. “Save that shit for the privacy of your bedroom, alright? No one here wants to be subjected to it.”

  
“Ah, you know big words.” Cheryl notes.

  
“Excuse me if I can’t keep my hands to myself. Have you seen my girl, Pea?” Toni shrugs, and she makes a show of sweeping her gaze over swollen lips and shining eyes. “My girl is crazy hot.”

  
Sweet Pea chuckles, “Tell me something I don’t know, Topaz.”

  
“Do you  _want_  to get your ass beat?” Toni growls as she shifts on Cheryl’s lap so she can glare up at her best friend. “If not then I suggest you keep your beady eyes  _off_ my girl.”

  
“But she’s so nice to look at…”

  
Cheryl feels Toni tense in her lap and she sighs as her arms drop from around her girlfriend. She already knows what’s going to happen; she knows how Toni and Sweet Pea work, they’re like children around each other. It doesn’t surprise her when Toni scrambles to her feet and Sweet Pea bolts with a loud laugh while Valerie yells for Toni not to kill her boyfriend. Honestly, Cheryl just doesn’t want to have to patch her girlfriend up if things get a little too rough between the pair.

  
“I’m gonna go kill Pea, okay?” Toni grins.

  
Cheryl arches an eyebrow, “Try to avoid bloodshed, Nana Rose really is fond of the wallpaper in the halls. She’d be devastated if anything happened to it.”

  
Toni gives a salute, “Got it, boss.”

  
“I hope she doesn’t kill my boyfriend.” Valerie frowns as she approaches Cheryl. “He’s kind of cute, and he’s my ride home.”

  
Cheryl smirks as she hears Sweet Pea’s deep scream, “That’s my girl.”

  
-

  
Cheryl thinks Blossom is tolerable. He definitely isn’t as cute as he once was, especially since Blossom is suddenly Toni’s favorite thing. He takes every second of her free time, and Cheryl is starting to realize him causing her to sneeze and her eyes to swell isn’t her only problem with him. Now, it is more about the  _alone_ time he is managing to steal from them; it’s amazing what the little kitten has done to their once active sex life.

  
With a pout, Cheryl turns in the computer chair she is sat in to watch Toni’s scratch at the top of Blossom’s head. She can almost  _sense_ the enjoyment the little heathen is feeling as he purrs in a rhythmic fashion and arches into her touch. Cheryl wishes  _she_ was arching into Toni; they have the entire evening to themselves, no homework or mysteries to solve, but Toni refuses to part with Blossom. Or Blossom refuses to part with Toni. At this point, Cheryl can’t really tell who is more obsessed with who.

  
Her gaze runs freely over her girlfriend and she takes in the sweats and messy bun, and falls in love all over again. It’s almost a crime how good Toni looks in a pair of sweats, she wishes she could pull the look off. Or maybe she just wishes she could just just pull Toni’s sweats off. A ball of heat settles in her stomach as she shifts in her chair and dances her eyes over the long lashes that settle on Toni’s cheeks with every blink and to where her lips are curled up into a loving lopsided grin. A mixture of annoyance and arousal hits her as she flexes her jaw and glares once more at the kitten.

  
It’s been almost two  _weeks_ since she’s had an actual moment alone with Toni and she can feel her body ache with need. Her girlfriend is addicting, and Cheryl needs her fix. All she needs to do is get rid of that ridiculous cat and the rest will be a breeze. With a harsh breath, Cheryl gracefully stands and moves to sweep a hand under Blossom before she carries him to the bathroom door and sets him inside; the kitten meows on the opposite side but she ignores it in favor of crossing the room to sweep her arms around her confused girlfriend.

  
“Why’d you do that? Babe, you need to take a Benadryl. You touched him.” Toni frowns even as she curls her arms around Cheryl’s neck. “I’m serious, Cheryl.”

  
“I really don’t care right now, the Benadryl can wait until I’m done.” Cheryl mumbles as she tugs at the zipper on Toni’s jacket and presses a lingering kiss to her lips. “Right now, all I need is  _you_.”

  
Toni laughs softly against her mouth as their lips move lazily together, “Seriously? You just wanna get laid?”

  
“You drive me crazy, and I  _miss_ you. My allergies be damned right now.” Cheryl sighs as she drops her lips to bare shoulders while she tosses a grey jacket over her shoulder.

  
Toni continues to laugh even as Cheryl lowers onto the bed and small hands bury themselves in her hair and pull her close. For a moment, the desperation melts away as their kisses deepen and her fingers play at the string of her sweats. Just as hands glide under her shirt, Cheryl abruptly pulls away from Toni in order to turn her head and sneeze. And just like that, her eyes begin to burn as she rolls away from Toni to hide a sneeze.

  
“That’s what I thought.” Toni grumbles as she leans over to press a kiss to Cheryl’s shoulder. “I’m gonna grab you a Benadryl and glass of water.”

  
Cheryl whines in disappointment as Toni slides off the bed and moves to slip into the bathroom, and Blossom is quick to slip between her legs and into the room. A glare appears on her face as she rubs at her eyes, and Blossom slowly crosses the room and makes eye contact with her before he curls himself into the depths of a dress that Cheryl abandoned earlier.

  
“You’re  _evil_.”

  
Blossom simply closes his eyes and leaves Cheryl with her itchy eyes and an ache that her girlfriend left unsatisfied.

  
Yeah, she hates that cat.


	2. i just wanna scream it (i love you)

“Hey, I have to go.”

  
Cheryl scowls as Toni approaches her, “Excuse me?”

  
“Official Serpents meeting or something. Normally, I’d be okay with skipping but FP called it and he almost  _never_ calls a meeting.” Toni explains in a breathless tone. “I’m sorry, babe.”

 

“TT, you can’t miss a Vixens practice…”

 

“You can just show me the moves later on. Give me a private show.” Toni smirks, and Cheryl shudders in silent anticipation. “I promise this won’t happen again. I’ll see you at home.”

  
“Fine.”

  
Cheryl tries to stay angry, but she can’t when Toni’s lips nuzzle against the corner of her mouth. Just like every time before, Cheryl settles as she presses her blunt nails into the material of Toni’s practice shorts. She hates when Toni leaves for meetings, she knows exactly what  _meetings_ are. It means that later on she’s going to be cleaning cuts and icing bruises, it means a late night of pacing through Thistlehouse and counting down the minutes. It means that there’s a chance that her girlfriend won’t be returned to her at all, and that thought makes her heart split and her skin crawl.

  
“Take me with you.” Cheryl orders.

  
Toni tenses in her arms, “Absolutely fucking  _not_.”

  
“Why?”

  
“Because you’re…I  _can’t_.” Toni replies as she pulls away from Cheryl. “You know I can’t. Please, Cher. Don’t ask me to put you in danger ever again, alright?”

  
“You’re always with them.” Cheryl snaps.

  
“Because they’re my family. Besides you, they’re all I have. They raised me.” Toni whispers. “I know this isn’t ideal, but this is my life. Please don’t try to change that.”

  
Cheryl sighs heavily, “I love you.”

  
“I love you, too. I’ll see you soon.”

  
The other Vixens mill around and watch as Toni grabs her bag and disappears from the gym. Cheryl can already feel the eyes on her and she knows what they’re all thinking, they’re waiting for her to explode or to explain why she has a soft spot for their newest cheerleader. But she won’t. It doesn’t concern them. So, Cheryl channels her frustration and takes it out on the other girls; their drills are run until they’re perfect, they run twice as many laps, and one girl literally bursts into tears of excitement when Cheryl finally allows them to leave.

  
By the time she’s in the shower, her entire mind churns with questions she constantly asks herself. Questions she wants to ask Toni. She wants to know everything there is to know about her girlfriend, she wants to know how she became who she is. She wants to know why Sweet Pea guards her, why she shows up in Fangs flannels sometimes, and why it’s damn near impossible to pull them apart. They’re attached at the hip, and Cheryl has found that Fangs and Sweet Pea have pretty much moved into her guest rooms.

  
Cheryl doesn’t understand them, she hasn’t had a connection like they do. Not even with Jason. Sweet Pea looks at Toni like she holds every answer in the world and Fangs listens to Toni like her voice is a delicate as a sirens. Sometimes Cheryl can’t stand it, it makes her ache in an unfamiliar way. She never has had to share before, even when she was young and Jason was alive, their parents away bought two of everything. But Toni? There’s no way to split her in half or find something to occupy her Serpent family. Nope, Cheryl has just learned to share.

  
“Stupid meetings.” Cheryl huffs.

  
The locker room is empty and she’s alone when her phone goes off, and she’s a little ashamed by how fast she dives for it. As soon as she sees Toni’s contact information, her heart soars and her breath catches. She’s always afraid of this part, of opening the text and seeing whether or not it’s from FP telling her to meet them at some rundown shack so she can pick up a concussed Toni. All she wants is her girlfriend back, she just wants to kiss her and leave marks where others can’t see.

  
**My Queen:** **On my way home to you.**

  
And Cheryl breathes a sigh of relief.

  
-

  
Cheryl hates Jughead.

  
Every time she sees him, she feels sick to her stomach. She sees him and remembers that stupid USB with that stupid video. She remembers how  _cruel_ he was, and it reminds her of how much she wants to sock him in the face. But she doesn’t. Cheryl stays silent because Toni adores Jughead, she thinks he’s just the best thing in Riverdale. If only Toni knew, Cheryl would love to see what her overprotective girlfriend would do to Jughead then.

  
“Babe, Pop’s tonight or did…oh. Jughead.” Cheryl pauses and rolls her eyes. “I didn’t know we were having company.”

  
Jughead scoffs, “ _You_ aren’t. I’m here for Toni.”

  
“Don’t be an ass.” Toni snaps as she glares at Jughead before her soft brown eyes gleam Cheryl’s way. “So, Pop’s?”

  
“We’ll discuss it when we don’t have a homeless vampire sitting on our couch.” Cheryl chirps, and Toni simply laughs under her breath. “So, what are we talking about?”

  
“Nothing.”

  
Toni shrugs and looks up at Cheryl, “Just about something he and Betty are looking into. He was asking me for some advice.”

  
“Advice?” Cheryl repeats as she drops onto the couch opposite the pair.

  
“It doesn’t concern you, don’t worry about it. I’ll be out of your hair as soon as I’m done.” Jughead assures her as he glares at Cheryl. “Anyway, as I was saying, Betty and I found a lead for the Black Hood.”

  
“Oh.” Toni frowns.

  
“Betty and I are planning to do some investigating about his hideout.” Jughead begins, and Toni arches an eyebrow. “We’re planning to look around Southside and you know the area better than us. Would you mind giving us a hand?”

  
Toni hesitates, “I…”

  
“ _No_. Absolutely not.” Cheryl cuts in, and she folds her arms over her chest as two pairs of wide eyes look to her. “I’m not going to let you rope Toni into one of your stupid Murder She Wrote investigations. She doesn’t need to…”

  
“I didn’t ask if you were okay with it.” Jughead scoffs.

  
Cheryl bares her teeth at him for a moment, “I don’t  _care_. She’s my girlfriend and I know how your little missions go, you’ll save yourself and your precious Corpse Bride and leave Toni to fend for herself. Not happening.”

  
“Toni has a mind of her own. She’s a grown woman. She can make her own decisions.” Jughead snaps as he rolls his eyes.

  
“I never said she can’t make her own decisions, but this is something I know she’ll agree with me on. The entire town knows about how you and Betty work.” Cheryl sneers. “Toni has enough on her plate with the Serpents, she doesn’t need to add Nancy Drew to her list.”

  
“She’s right, Jug.” Toni sighs, and she hears Cheryl’s hum of approval just over Jughead’s scoff. “I already cause her enough stress with Serpent business, I shouldn’t add to it.”

  
“I would keep you safe…”

  
“I’m sure you would, but I can’t.” Toni whispers.

  
“But…”

  
Cheryl hisses in frustration, “She said  _no_ , Hot Topic. Would you like to buy a vowel? Phone a friend? Get a clue?”

  
“Cher.” Toni scolds. “Stop.”

  
“I think I should probably go.” Jughead mumbles as he stands to grab his jacket. “I guess I’ll see you at tomorrow’s meeting.”

  
Cheryl continues to seethe as Toni walks Jughead out. By the time he’s gone, Cheryl is up and pacing; she isn’t sure why she feels like this, like she has splinters in her chest and they’re leaving marks in her heart. She feels like she can’t breathe. She’s just so  _mad_. Jughead has no concept of understanding when people tell him no, when people don’t agree to go along with his barely thought out plan. He doesn’t  _care_ , and that’s what frustrates Cheryl the most.

  
“Wanna tell me what that was about?”

  
“He’s an ass.” Cheryl scoffs as she turns to face the woman leaning her hip against the arm of the nearby couch. “Promise me you won’t help him look for the Black Hood.”

  
“Cheryl…”

  
“ _Promise_ me, Toni.” Cheryl pleads.

  
Toni sighs and ducks her head, “He was talking to me while I walked him out, he wants to get the other Serpents involved. If he does, there’s nothing I can do. I can’t abandon them.”

  
“So, am I just supposed to sit at home and stay quiet? Pretend my girlfriend isn’t out doing things that could get her arrested or  _killed_?” Cheryl asks with sarcasm dripping from her tone. “Am I supposed to relive the night Sweet Pea called me after you were  _stabbed_?”

  
“Baby, I know this is…”

  
“Insane? Ridiculous? Horrible? Just let me know if I’m getting warmer on my description of your so called gang activity.” Cheryl growls. “How am I supposed to just…accept this?”

  
Toni hangs her head, “They took me in when my uncle kicked me out, they gave me couches to sleep on and protection. I can’t just abandon them, Cheryl. I can’t. They’re…”

  
“I understand. They’re your family. I get it. We’ve talked about it a million times.” Cheryl cuts in as she lifts a hand. “But you have  _two_ families now, Toni. I want to build a future with you, but you have to be alive for it to happen.”

  
Toni pauses in shock, “Yo-You want a life with me?”

  
“Toni, you  _are_ my life. I love you so much.” Cheryl whispers as she crosses the room to gently cup Toni’s face. “You know that, right?”

  
“I do. I love you, too.” Toni murmurs as she nuzzles into Cheryl’s palm. “You’re right. I do have two families and it’s time I start acknowledging that. I’m sorry, Cher.”

  
“You have nothing to apologize for.” Cheryl hums as she tilts Toni’s chin up slowly. “Will you just kiss me so this argument can end?”

  
Toni chuckles as their lips meet, “Best way to end argument ever.”

  
-

  
“White or pink?”

  
“I’m thinking white tonight. Make sure you put it on some ice.” Cheryl calls over her shoulder. “Go ahead and pull two bottles.”

  
“Two? Why, Ms. Blossom, are you hoping that a little wine will sway me into bed with you?” Toni smirks as she sets the wine bottles on the counter. “Because if so, you are most definitely right.”

  
Cheryl giggles and shakes her head, “I could offer you a chocolate chip cookie  _crumb_ and you’d still crawl into bed with me.”

  
“I love nights like this.” Toni grins as she slides behind Cheryl to peer over her shoulder. “You know, the nights when you cook dinner and we have a little jazz playing…”

  
“First of all, stop calling Sam Smith  _jazz_. Second of all, I always cook for you.” Cheryl points out. “And if you don’t stop stealing samples then we’re not going to have any dinner. Go eat something else.”

  
Toni smirks, “You sure?”

  
“Positive.”

  
“Yes. My favorite.” Toni hisses, and Cheryl laughs in surprise as teeth dig playfully into her shoulder. “Mm, so much better than pasta.”

  
“TT,” Cheryl squeals. “Stop!”

  
“But you’re so delicious and you told me to find something else to eat.” Toni pouts as she reluctantly pulls away. “You’re so mean.”

  
Cheryl laughs softly as Toni wanders off to pick up her buzzing phone. As soon as she sees the smile on Toni’s face drop, the entire atmosphere changes. She knows exactly what her girlfriend is looking at, another text requesting her presence for a meeting. With a sigh, Cheryl goes back to straining the last of the pasta as she mentally tries to prepare herself for yet another late night dinner with just herself and that stupid cat. She silently wonders if Blossom would eat pasta, she wonders if she can even get him to pull himself out of his hiding spot in the closet up in the guest room.

  
“Where’s my stepstool?”

  
Cheryl frowns, “What?”

  
“My stepstool.” Toni repeats as she looks around with a frown. “You put the wine glasses on a shelf higher than I can reach. I thought we discussed this, I am vertically challenged. I can’t…”

  
“You’re not leaving?” Cheryl demands.

  
“What?” Toni frowns.

  
“You got a text.”

  
“Okay? I told them I can’t be there.” Toni shrugs. “I’m not missing out on dinner with my girl just because they need me to play juror.”

  
Cheryl bites her lower lip, “Are you sure?”

  
“I’m absolutely positive.” Toni beams, but her smile quickly falls away as her brow furrows. “Now, where is my stepstool?”

  
Toni walks away and Cheryl smiles brightly to herself as she turns back to their dinner; suddenly, their quiet night in seems a thousand times better.


	3. we all fall apart

Toni loves the rain.

  
Well, her mother  _taught_ her to love the rain. Toni remembers being young, with so much hope in her eyes, and jumping around in puddles until she was a mess of mud. She remembers how her mom used to swing her around, how she would laugh so deep and loving as the storm swallowed their happiness and washed away their fears. Her mother would hold her in the darkness of the evenings when the soundtrack to their night was the gentle patter of the rain slipping along their trailer windows. Her mother loved the rain and Toni loved her mother so eventually she learned to love the rain too.

  
Riverdale doesn’t have a lot of rain, it’s mostly a hit or miss kind of thing and it only happens in April. So, Toni takes advantage of the afternoon shower and leaves the warmth of the Thistlehouse in search of a comfort she has long since lost. And that leads her to a bench in an empty park, it leads her to sobbing so hard she can’t tell where the rain begins and her tears end; all she knows is that she feels like her mother is crying for her, and Toni is drowning in it. It’s times like this when Toni misses the woman who tried so hard to get clean for her daughter, but ultimately failed.

  
As she sits there, Toni cries out all the memories she clings to. She tries so hard to be tough all the time, but sometimes she just needs to break. Sometimes she needs to fall apart and  _remember_. She thinks of sitting in dirty gas station bathrooms while her mother shot up in a stall. She thinks of counting on her fingers and doing her homework on the couch while her mother used the coffee table to count pills. She remembers the smear of white powder donuts all along her hands, and how she would giggle and tell her mother she had powder under her nose. She remembers how all of the good things her mother did usually were colored with a cover up, a way to keep Toni quiet.

 

And Toni remembers the day she died. Ironically enough, it was raining that day. She was so young, so innocent. She remembers playing with Sweet Pea at the rusty, beaten up park and skinning her knee on the concrete when one of the older boys pushed her over. She can recall how she had forced down her tears, how she had looked at Sweet Pea who puffed out his chest and she had mocked his posture and bit her lower lip; Toni thinks that was the day she stopped crying, stopped acknowledging her pain. That is also the day she ran home, dirty and smiling, and crashed into a silent trailer and found her mother with glassy eyes and cracked lips that would never smile again.

  
Toni isn’t surprised when Cheryl finds her, and she doesn’t know how long she has been sitting here. It’s been long enough that her sobs are now sniffles and the storm has calmed to a relaxing drizzle. It’s been long enough that Toni can see the obvious worry on Cheryl’s face as she kneels before her and rests her hands protectively on her knees. Toni figures the sight of her must be pretty alarming if Cheryl is willingly kneeling before her in jeans more expensive than anything Toni has ever owned.

  
“Hey, baby.”

  
Toni sniffles, “Hi.”

  
“What are you doing out here?” Cheryl asks as she moves to slide onto the bench. “Veronica texted me saying Sweet Pea was worried because he hadn’t heard from you all day.”

  
“I just needed to be here.” Toni shrugs as she leans into Cheryl’s arms. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen rain.”

  
Cheryl presses a kiss to her head and holds her, “I understand. We’ve had more snow that anything. So, why are you really out here? Besides the fact that you missed the rain.”

  
“My mom loved the rain.” Toni whispers and she sighs as Cheryl tenses. “I’m sorry, I know I don’t talk about her much and you’ve tried to ask…”

  
“Hey, I don’t mind.” Cheryl assures her as she ducks her head to catch Toni’s gaze. “If anyone can understand mommy dearest drama than it’s me. I-I understand that you’re still grieving, Toni. You’re  _always_ going to grieve, and that’s okay.”

  
“My mom would’ve really liked you, she would’ve liked me with you.” Toni murmurs. “That feels so cliché to say, but I mean it.”

  
“Tell me about her.” Cheryl offers.

  
Toni hesitates as her eyes flutter closed, “I  _can’t_. Not yet. I-I know it sounds selfish, but my mom was  _mine_. Those memories are mine, and they’re all I have left of her. If I share them then…then they’re yours too and I’m not ready for that.”

  
Toni doesn’t know if she’ll ever be ready to tell anyone about her mother, about the woman she idolized up until she found her dead in their dirty, moldy living room. She knows she can’t spend the rest of forever missing her mother, but forever is a long time to go without the person you considered your hero. With a harsh breath, Toni opens her eyes and looks up at Cheryl to see the gentle frown on her face as her dark eyes glimmer with worry and red hair begins to frizz from the humidity.

  
“You’re too good.” Toni sighs.

  
Cheryl presses a kiss to her head in response, “Let’s go home. You’re freezing and I don’t want you to catch a cold.”

  
“Can I just…a little longer? Please?” Toni begs.

  
“Ten minutes and then I’m driving you back home and wrapping you in layers upon layers of fluffy blankets.” Cheryl replies, and Toni can’t help but breathe out a laugh. “And I’m ordering Thai.”

  
“Oh?” Toni chuckles. “For me or for you?”

  
“For  _us_.” Cheryl shrugs. “But mostly for me. But first, you’re freezing. Come here.”

  
Toni smiles as she falls into Cheryl and closes her eyes once more. If she tries hard enough, she can picture her mother standing a few feet away with a lopsided smile and her thumbs up, and Toni thinks that maybe it’s a blessing. Maybe it’s time for her to move on from the thing keeping her locked down to the darkest part of her past; as she listens to Cheryl’s heartbeat, she can’t help but think that Cheryl Blossom is the waiting light at the end of the tunnel.


	4. i pick you, i choose you (i love you)

“Oh! And that is  _another_ strike.”

  
Archie laughs as he holds his hand up for Toni to slap, “That’ah girl.”

  
“You guys suck.” Veronica huffs as she glances up at the bright display of the current score. “Who in the hell is this good at bowling?”

  
“There’s not a whole lot to do in Southside, this is the best hangout. And the safest.” Toni shrugs as she reaches for her drink. “But how is it that you two suck so  _badly_ at this?”

  
Cheryl and Veronica swap frowns, “We’re rich.”

  
“You can’t use that as your default answer for everything.” Archie scoffs even as he presses a kiss to Veronica’s forehead. “Just because you’re rich doesn’t mean everything you’re incapable of doing is because of your status.”

  
“ _Incapable_?” Cheryl repeats as she looks to her girlfriend with wide eyes. “Veronica and I are hardly incapable. We might not be good at bowling, but we kick your asses at chess.”

  
Veronica nods, “And Scrabble.”

  
“Tennis.”

  
“Clue.” Veronica offers.

  
“And those are all nerd games, Cher.” Toni teases as she meets Cheryl’s glare. “Archie and I are better at just about everything else. I mean, we destroy you when it comes to Sorry.”

  
“Touch football.” Archie adds in.

  
“Any video games. Especially Halo.” Toni chirps.

  
“And Candyland.” Archie nods.

  
“ _That_ was an eventful evening.” Veronica murmurs as she trades a glance with her friend. “So, you two are good at the  _cool_ stuff, but Cheryl and I are nerds? I’m not sure how I feel about that.”

  
Cheryl hums in agreement, “I propose we set a bet.”

  
“A bet?” Toni snorts. “You really shouldn’t, babe.”

  
“Put your money where your mouth is, Topaz. Are you in or not?” Cheryl demands, and Toni swallows down a mouthful of Dr. Pepper as she nods. “Losers pay for the next round  _and_ dinner for a month.”

  
Archie glances towards Veronica, “You in?”

  
“Oh, you know I love a good bet.” Veronica hums. “So, let’s get this started. One more game and we’ll see who the better bowlers are.”

  
“We’re going to crush you.” Archie warns.

  
“Mm, you speak so highly of yourself. So sure. It’s cute.” Veronica giggles. “So, step aside and let’s get this game started.”

  
“Ronnie, would you like to start?” Cheryl smirks.

  
Veronica flashes her friend a wink, “Of course.”

  
As soon as the game begins, Toni and Archie quickly realize that their girlfriends fight dirty. While they’re clearly the superior bowlers, Cheryl and Veronica are damn good at distractions. I mean, who could fault Archie for his gutter ball when Veronica accidentally dropped something and bent over in that skirt? And Toni is embarrassed about the cracked ceiling tile, but it isn’t her fault Cheryl brushed against her and reminded her of all the things her tongue could do.

  
So, when the game ends and they admit defeat, both Toni and Archie are full of pouts and disbelief. They should be angry, but the sight of Cheryl and Veronica dancing enthusiastically just makes their hearts warm and their stomachs flutter. Toni grins adoringly as she watches Cheryl playfully twist her hips in an all too seductive manner, and it doesn’t take her long to see that others are enjoying the display of the Blossom and Lodge women just as much as she and Archie are.

  
“Babe,” Toni laughs. “Your cuteness is making everyone stare. Stop it.”

  
Cheryl looks to her with a smug smile, “But we  _won_.”

  
“Yeah, we totally kicked your asses.” Veronica beams, and Archie really tries desperately to smother his smile but fails. “You owe us a tray of shots.”

  
“Um, I think I’ll stick to a glass of red.” Cheryl scoffs.

  
Veronica rolls her eyes at her, “Boring.”

  
“I am not  _boring_.” Cheryl protests.

  
“Wanna make another bet?” Veronica asks, and Cheryl immediately gives a firm nod. “Another round of bowling, if you lose then you have to do a tray of whatever shots I choose.”

  
Cheryl sneers as she steps towards her friend, “And when I win, you have to run outside yelling that you wet the bed until you were fourteen.”

  
“Who told you?” Veronica demands.

  
“Just pick a ball and get ready to lose.”

  
Toni groans as she looks to Archie, “This is going to be a long night.”

  
“They’re rich, remember?” Archie shrugs as he takes a sip of his root beer and winks at his newfound friend. “What do you expect?”

  
“That’s a good point.” Toni sighs.

  
Archie and Toni settle in to watch their girlfriends battle off, and Toni can’t help but admire how cute Cheryl is when she’s acting competitive. Every day she learns new things about her girlfriend and every day she is a little more amazed; Cheryl Blossom is a force that Toni never expected in her life, but something she is so thankful for. A smile spreads across her face as Cheryl spins to face her and a look of childlike happiness colors her cheeks as she excitedly claps her hands.

  
“You got it bad, dude.” Archie chuckles.

  
Toni barely glances away from Cheryl, “Huh?”

  
“You look at her like Jughead looks at a burger. And that’s saying something.” Archie snorts. “I didn’t know you were so into her.”

  
“I’m in love with her.” Toni admits.

  
Archie looks to her with wide eyes, “ _Cheryl_?”

  
“No. Veronica.” Toni drawls with a roll of her eyes, and the amusement intensifies when she sees Archie pause. “I’m kidding, Andrews. Yes, I’m in love with Cheryl.”

  
“Oh.” Archie smiles. “Cool.”

  
“How did you do that?”

  
“It’s called  _talent_ , Lodge.”

  
“It’s called  _cheating_!”

  
“Why did we agree to let them do this?” Toni asks with a frown. “If we don’t watch them, they’re going to end up ripping each other apart.”

  
Archie shrugs, “Probably.”

  
“How does one cheat at bowling?” Cheryl demands as she approaches the pair. “She has a clear view of what I’m doing.”

  
Toni quickly stands, “She’s just competitive.”

  
“Still.”

  
“You’re cute when you pout.” Toni hums as she drags a thumb over Cheryl’s full bottom lip. “How are you this cute?”

  
“Yuck. I’m out.” Archie snickers.

  
Cheryl watches Archie wander off, “It’s a Blossom trait.”

  
“Not possible. I’ve met a lot of Blossoms…well, unfortunately I’ve met  _a lot_  of Blossoms, but you are by far the cutest.” Toni chirps with a bright grin. “And my word is gospel.”

  
Cheryl aches an eyebrow, “Oh?”

  
“Yup.” Toni beams.

  
“Quit smiling at me like that.” Cheryl orders as she playfully shoves Toni’s shoulder. “I can’t think. And that’s not fair.”

  
Toni laughs as she cups Cheryl’s hips, “You mean  _this_ smile?”

  
“You don’t play fair. It’s wildly unattractive.” Cheryl teases as she presses a gentle kiss to Toni’s bright smile. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a Lodge’s ass to kick.”

  
“Wait. One more.” Toni orders as she tugs Cheryl closer to herself to capture her lips. “How about you don’t kick her ass and stay with me?”

  
Cheryl grins and pecks her lips, “No.”

  
“Mm,” Toni cups the back of Cheryl’s head and rests their foreheads together. “I know I’ve kissed you like ten times, but just like another ten…please?”

  
“Nope. A few more frames and I’ll have her beat. Are you feeling Italian tonight?” Cheryl asks as she slowly pulls away. “Maybe French?”

  
“Snails? No thanks.” Toni scoffs.

  
Cheryl leaves her with a soft kiss on the forehead and Toni slinks off to drop beside Archie who has lipstick smudged on his cheek. For the next forty five minutes, Toni sits happily and watches Cheryl enjoy herself.  _Truly_ enjoy herself. And that? That is more than enough for Toni.

  
-

  
“Is Blossom in his room?” Cheryl asks as she peeks around the edge of the doorway.

  
“Yup. All curled up in bed.” Toni replies as she looks up from her textbook with a smile. “So, come over here and cuddle with me.”

  
“If you insist.” Cheryl sighs as she slumps into the room and crawls onto the bed. “Tonight was fun. I’ve never really been on a double date.”

  
“What? Cheryl Blossom, you deserve to be taken on a  _million_ double dates.” Toni scoffs as she opens her arms to her girlfriend. “In fact, we’re making it a weekly tradition.”

  
Cheryl frowns as she leans into Toni’s chest and pushes her textbook aside, “I don’t think I can handle a weekly dosage of Superman and Lois Lane. Especially with their excessive PDA.”

  
“Alright, alright. We can switch it up every week. Fangs and Kevin next week?” Toni asks as she runs a hand down the length of Cheryl’s spine. “Jug and Betty after that?”

  
“I’d sooner light myself on fire.” Cheryl scoffs.

  
“Okay, so no to Jughead and Betty. Got it.” Toni laughs as she playfully taps a finger against Cheryl’s nose. “How about Josie and Reggie?”

  
“Maybe.” Cheryl yawns.

  
“Sweets and Valerie?”

  
“I wouldn’t mind them. They at least have some class and know better than to gag each other with their tongues.” Cheryl nods. “I wouldn’t mind Midge and Moose on rare occasions.”

  
Toni once again taps Cheryl’s nose, “Got it.”

  
“Stop  _booping_ my nose.” Cheryl huffs as she gently slaps Toni’s hand away. “And I don’t want to share you  _every_ week. How about every few weeks? I just want date nights with you.”

  
“I agree. I don’t think I want to share you every week either.” Toni nods as she presses a kiss to the top of Cheryl’s head. “I prefer dates with just you and me. After all, you’re my favorite person.”

  
Cheryl looks up with a soft smile, “I am?”

  
“Well, duh.” Toni chuckles as she rolls her eyes and once again bounces her finger on Cheryl’s nose. “I adore you, babe.”

  
“What did I tell you about doing that?” Cheryl growls as she scrambles to straddle Toni. “I told you to stop bopping my nose, Topaz.”

  
Toni smirks from beneath her, “How about you  _make_ me stop, Blossom?”

  
“With pleasure.”


	5. my little monster

Cheryl Blossom isn’t afraid to admit she was terrified when Toni told her she was pregnant; of course they had planned it, but she still had that moment of pure panic when her wife excitedly showed her the positive pregnancy test.

  
_“I’m pregnant.”_

  
The words were like a splash of water being thrown in her face, like someone had flipped on a switch and all the lights spilled in. Because Cheryl has spent these last years in limbo with Toni, a blissful limbo of just them taking on life together. But then? Then they decided to shake things up, and all of that shaking finally lead to the explosion of Toni’s pregnancy. Cheryl remembers crying, remembers hugging Toni, and then fucking her against a wall to celebrate. After that, she held her wife and kissed her stomach while making a thousand promises.

  
After that, it became a waiting game. Each month drug up a new emotion for her. The first and second she tried to act nonchalant, tried to pretend like her breath didn’t catch when she saw Toni’s tiny bump. For the third and fourth month, a protective instinct took over and she snapped at anyone who so much as looked too long at her wife. Let’s just say that Jughead won’t soon forget the words she had spat at him after he had playfully pushed Toni. And when the months wore down and Toni’s due date grew closer, all of her emotions clumped together and the panic set in. And to make matters more difficult, there came the appointment when she discovered her wife was carrying just one human life but rather two. Because  _of course_  she was.

  
_“The babies are coming.”_

  
Four of the scariest words she has ever head, that she will ever hear. Toni’s cries and the way she had begged Cheryl to make the pain go away is something that will haunt her forever. She’ll never forget how hard Toni squeezed her hand or how the doctor had begged her to  _push, push, push_ until Toni was sweating and her eyes were filled with agony. And then a soft cry broke that agonizing spell and another one followed two minutes later.

  
It isn’t till Nathaniel and Francesca are brought into the world that she releases the breath she had been holding for those nine long months. It isn’t till she is looking into her son and daughter’s dazed expressions that the panic dwindles away and is replaced with a love that is something almost unknown; it’s different from what she feels for her wife, but it runs just as deep. As she holds her little creations, she realizes that being afraid was pointless. In that little hospital room, she shares a kiss with Toni and focuses on the bundles that are her entire future.

  
-

  
Her babies are perfect.

  
They aren’t cranky like Polly’s twins. They don’t brood like Veronica and Archie’s daughter. They aren’t dramatic like Reggie and Josie’s son. They don’t have a flare of rebellion in their eyes like Sweet Pea and Valerie’s daughter. They aren’t hiding behind a cunning smirk like Fangs and Kevin’s spawn. And they certainly aren’t as loud as Jughead and Betty’s teething brat. No, they reach each milestone with flawless effort and each day they look more and more like Toni. Yet Cheryl has one problem, and that problem is Frankie. For the first three months, Frankie would sob uncontrollably if anyone other than Toni or Sweet Pea touched her; it was heartbreaking for Cheryl at first, but she pushed away the sadness in an effort to remember that Nathan still needed her.

  
It isn’t until Frankie finally reaches her fourth month that she finally seems to settle and allows others to hold her. Although she does have a knack for attempting to jab out Betty’s bright blue eyes, that makes Cheryl all too happy each time she sees it. Cheryl figures that her small change meant that things would become normal, that Frankie will somehow attach herself to her, but she doesn’t. Her daughter remains cool and calm, and Cheryl only sees her eyes sparkle with interest whenever Toni walks into the room.

  
“Hi, baby girl.”

  
Cheryl hums as she shifts Nathan in her arms while Toni holds Frankie over her head, “Careful, babe. She just had her bottle and I’ll be devastated if anything happens to that blouse. It…compliments your chest quite nicely.”

  
“How very gay of you, Bombshell.” Toni teases as she lowers Frankie to the crook of her elbow and tickles her pudgy stomach. “But Frankie would  _never_ throw up on me. You’re my sweet girl, you would never do something like that.”

  
“She vomited her entire bottle onto my lap last night, TT.” Cheryl scoffs as she untangles Nathan’s fist from her hair. “In fact, she’s thrown up on me every time I’ve held her this week.”

  
“She’s saying she loves you.” Toni smirks, and her face softens as she crosses the room. “Switch. I need some time with my little Nate.”

  
Cheryl grins as they easily swap the five month old twins and she is quick to catch dark eyes, “Hi, Frankie. How are you?”

  
Frankie answers in the form of a cough of vomit.

  
“You have got to be kidding me.” Cheryl growls as she looks at the white stain that slowly seeps down the length of her shirt. “See! I told you that she keeps throwing up on me.”

  
“Oh, Cheryl,” Toni sighs with an amused roll of her eyes. “Don’t be dramatic, it was an accident.”

  
Cheryl scoffs as she glares at her daughter and she swears her little grin is smug, “You know exactly what you’re doing, don’t you?”

  
Once again, she replies with a hiccup of vomit.

  
-

  
“Kiss?” Toni coos.

  
Frankie squeals as her mother puckers her lips and she leans forward to press a slobbery kiss to her mouth. A smile spreads across Toni’s face as she balances her daughter against her knees; at eight months, her twins continue to surprise her with how easy they adapt to changes. Nathan is quicker with his movements now and Frankie has begun the new trick of kisses, and Toni just adores it. She adores when her daughter rocks forward to press wet lips against her cheek and she can’t help but melt every time Frankie pulls away to look at her with those big brown eyes; her kid has her wrapped tight around her finger.

  
“Who’s my sweet baby?” Toni grins.

  
“Nathan.”

  
Toni turns her head to watch as Cheryl struts into the room with a slumbering Nathan, “How in the hell did you get him down so fast?”

  
“Walk and rock. Oldest trick in the book, babe. I think the sound of my heels soothe him.” Cheryl replies as she moves to lay Nathan in his crib before she covers him with soft silk. “What are you still doing up? I thought you were putting Frankie down and then heading to bed.”

  
“She’s giving me goodnight kisses.” Toni grins, and she makes a show of puckering her lips before Frankie falls forward to give her a kiss. “Isn’t that just the cutest thing?”

  
“I want a kiss.” Cheryl pouts.

  
“Then give her a kiss.” Toni laughs as she stands and Frankie leans towards Cheryl till she gives in and takes her. “Frankie, give mama a kiss.”

  
Frankie stares at Cheryl for a long moment before she suddenly jerks her head forward and knocks their foreheads together with a dull thud. With a hiss of pain, Cheryl draws back to stare at her daughter who squeals in excitement before she darts forward to once again slam their heads together. After a moment of watching, Toni manages to shake off her slight horror as she scoops Frankie from Cheryl’s arms and runs her gaze over her daughter’s face; there’s a small red mark on her forehead, but other than that she seems almost proud of herself. With a huff, Cheryl rubs at her own red mark as she narrows her eyes at Frankie and flashes her wife a pout.

  
“She’s so mean to me.”

  
Toni tries to mask her laugh, “Are you okay?”

  
“Our child just repeatedly headbutted me and thinks that’s how you give kisses.” Cheryl scoffs as she drops her hand, and Toni bites her lip as she sees the mark on her wife’s face. “How okay do you  _think_ I am right now, TT?”

  
“She didn’t mean to.” Toni offers as she turns her head, and Frankie instantly leans forward to kiss her on her cheek.

  
Cheryl huffs and folds her arms over her chest, “She hates me.”

  
“That is so not true, don’t say things like that.” Toni scolds. “She’s just…rambunctious. She’s probably going through a phase.”

  
“She’s been going through said phase since she was born.” Cheryl points out with a scowl. “She wouldn’t let me hold her for three months, she threw up on me every day for a month straight and ruined most of my cashmere, she bit the hell out of me when her first tooth came in, and now she’s headbutting me instead of giving me kisses.”

  
“Well, she  _is_ the product of a Serpent.” Toni teases as she looks down at the little girl who is occupied by the curl in front of her. “I mean, it explains why she has such an attitude.”

  
“Unlikely.” Cheryl huffs, and she softens ever so slightly as Toni smiles at her. “Maybe she just likes to use me as her personal punching bag because she doesn’t have it in her to hurt her mommy.”

  
“Maybe.” Toni laughs.

  
“Well, whatever it is…I hope she grows out of it.”

  
-

  
She doesn’t.

  
At least not right away.

  
Once the twins start eating solids she spits all her food in Cheryl’s face, she pees in all her expensive little outfits, and her kisses are still hard headbutts that make Cheryl dizzy. But as time goes on, Cheryl starts to find it kind of adorable. She laughs whenever Frankie bats at her face and her adoration swells deep in her chest when her daughter pinches her cheeks as hard as she can. If Cheryl’s being honest, she kind of thinks this is how she was when she was Frankie’s age; it amuses her to no end that her daughter has become the mini version of herself. Over time, the distance between them closes and soon the two become thick as thieves.

  
“Should I be concerned about your daughter bullying my child?” Veronica asks nervously. “She’s not even a year old, and Quincy is terrified of her.”

  
“It’s not my daughter’s fault your spawn inherited her father’s backbone.” Cheryl scoffs, and her eyes light up as Frankie takes a block from Quincy. “If you have such a problem with it, you can always bring Quincy to Toni’s scheduled play dates.”

  
Veronica laughs as she looks to her friend, “That child could burn this town to the ground and you’d still find it adorable.”

  
“Well, arsen  _does_ run in our blood.” Cheryl teases, and her eyes stay locked on Frankie as she grins. “I can’t help that my twins are perfect, it’s too bad Archie and Jughead passed on their insufferable personalities to their litters.”

  
“Most people wouldn’t subject themselves to this kind of abuse.” Veronica mumbles. “Maybe I  _should_ start going to Toni’s play dates, at least she offers snacks.”

  
Cheryl simply laughs, “She’s softer than I am.”

  
“She’s definitely a Blossom.” Veronica notes as she nods to where Frankie is pulling another toy out of Quincy’s grasp. “Already bossing the kids around in the sandbox.”

  
“Like the say,” Cheryl smirks. “Like mother, like daughter.”

  
-

  
“Cher, it’s  _one_ ride.”

  
“One ride that could potentially be the  _last_ ride our son ever takes.” Cheryl scoffs. “He is not getting on that bike, Toni.”

  
“He wants to be like his mom.” Toni points out as she nods to where Nathan is pulling on a tiny leather jacket. “Pea takes Tasha on rides all the time, he says it helps lull her to sleep.”

  
“I don’t want my son on a death trap.” Cheryl replies with a glare. “Unless you plan to put him in a bubble, he isn’t going with you.”

  
“Cheryl, I bought us  _matching_ helmets.” Toni huffs as she juts out her lower lip. “I had an attachment added to the bike just so I could take him with me. I promise he’ll be safe.”

  
Cheryl shakes her head, “No.”

  
“Mama, vroom!” Nathan cheers as he runs over.

  
“Absolutely not.” Cheryl coos.

  
“Mommy, go?” Nathan asks as he tugs at the end of Toni’s worn Serpents jacket. “Mommy, bike? Go? Vroom?”

  
“Come on, Cher,” Toni pleads as she scoops Nathan onto her lip. “How could you possibly say no to us? Look how cute we are.”

  
“And I’d prefer it if your faces stayed that way…”

  
Toni whines as she holds Nathan, “One lap around Riverdale, and  _maybe_ a milkshake at Pop’s. We’ll be gone for an hour tops.”

  
“Oh my God.  _Fine_.” Cheryl whines, and her temples throb with a headache as Toni cheers. “I expect my wife and son home in one piece before dinner, do you understand me?”

  
“Understood. Thanks, babe.” Toni beams as she bounces forward to give her a soft kiss. “Nathan, tell mama thank you.”

  
Nathan puckers his lips, “Tank you!”

  
“You’re welcome, handsome. Have fun.” Cheryl sighs as she gives them both a kiss. “Keep your helmets on, alright?”

  
“You got it, boss!”

  
Cheryl wants to continue to argue this little adventure, but she doesn’t have the energy. Instead, she pinches the bridge of her nose and listens till she hears the purr of Toni’s motorcycle engine that is only overshadowed by their son’s excited yell. As soon as she knows they’re gone, Cheryl huffs in irritation as she looks to the clock and begins to count down the hour.

  
“Can you believe them?” Cheryl grumbles.

  
With a pout, Cheryl turns to her daughter and sees a look of indifference. A look of boredom. In that snap of a second, all Cheryl sees is herself. Frankie barely pays her any mind as she goes back to watching her show on her iPad and Cheryl swells with pride. While Nathan is the spitting image of Toni, both looks wise and personality, it’s clear her daughter is one hundred percent Blossom.

  
“Mind if I join you, love?” Cheryl asks.

  
Frankie glances up at her, “Shh.”

  
That is the only invitation Cheryl needs as she climbs onto the couch beside Frankie, and her daughter immediately crawls into her lap. Together, the two wait patiently for their better halves to return from their little trip around Riverdale. As Cheryl sits there, her stone faced daughter poised in her lap with a neutral expression, she is a little amazed by how happy she is. It only took her two years, but her daughter has finally picked a side and that side happens to be hers.

  
Cheryl sighs happily, “This is the best day of my life.”

  
“ _Shh_.”

  
“Sorry, princess.”


	6. the blood on my hands (scares me to death)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pt. i

“This is torture.”

  
Veronica laughs softly, “It’s  _baking_ , Cheryl.”

  
“I wasn’t talking about baking. I’m talking about the fact that my girlfriend basically dropped me off with you cub scouts so you could babysit me.” Cheryl huffs. “I am a grown woman, I don’t need anyone to keep an eye on me.”

  
“She thought this would be a good idea, to keep your mind occupied.” Betty shrugs. “Jug calls V over to spend time with me all the time, especially if their meeting is going to be long.”

  
“Congratulations. I’m glad your boyfriend keeps you crated like a puppy whenever he’s gone.” Cheryl snaps, but the harshness in her eyes softens as she looks away. “I didn’t mean that. I’m…I suppose I’m just worried.”

  
Kevin wraps a gentle arm around her, “She’s fine. They’re meeting about a problem in Greendale, it’s not a big deal.”

  
“I realize that.” Cheryl sighs as she shrugs off his comforting touch. “Somebody distract me before I drive to the Whyte Wyrm to pick her up.”

  
Betty smiles as she licks batter off a spoon, “How are things going between you guys?”

  
“Clearly well enough for me to move her in.” Cheryl replies as she busies herself with cleaning up. “I never thought I’d be able to tolerate someone living with me, breathing my air, but it’s…amazing. She’s the best roommate.”

  
“Oh, I bet she is.” Veronica smirks.

  
Cheryl rolls her eyes with a blush, “Shut up.”

  
“I think it’s great that you’ve found someone, Cheryl. You seem to be really happy.” Betty offers, and Cheryl simply smiles. “I never pictured you with a Serpent though, gotta be honest.”

  
“Toni is so much more than that.” Cheryl scoffs with a scowl. “She joined the Serpents to find a family, but that isn’t  _who_ she is. She’s…so sweet. She listens to me, encourages me, understands me, and loves me without expecting anything.”

  
Veronica blinks in awe, “You are in  _deep_.”

  
“Oh please, like the two of you have room to talk. Your lives revolve around Archie and Jughead. You’re in just as deep.” Kevin snorts as he sets a tray of cupcakes on the counter. “Face it, you’re all completely gone for your significant others.”

  
“Can you blame us? Have you seen Jug’s smile? Or listened to the way he speaks so passionately? He’s amazing.” Betty whispers as her cheeks color in a dark blush.

  
“He isn’t anything compared to my Archikins. Archie treats me like a queen. I never have to worry when I’m with him, I know he’ll always take care of me to the best of his abilities.” Veronica grins. “He’s the best boyfriend in Riverdale.”

  
“Does Jughead take you on bike rides at midnight for picnics at the lake? Or buy you roses just because?” Cheryl asks, and when Betty shakes her head she turns to Veronica. “Does Archie bring you shakes from Pop’s because you mentioned craving one? Does Archie kiss you and tell you that you’re his entire heart and he’ll always protect you?”

  
“No?” Veronica frowns.

  
“Didn’t think so. You peasants may have… _semi_ appealing boyfriends, but none of them hold a candle to Toni.” Cheryl chirps. “Let’s be real, I clearly have the best significant other.”

  
Kevin chuckles at Veronica and Betty’s pouts before he glances down to a buzzing phone, “Speak of the Serpent and she shall call.”

  
A smile spreads across Cheryl’s face as Kevin slides her iPhone across the island surface and she is met with the sight of Toni’s smiling face. A wave of adoration washes over her as she thinks about the day the picture was taken; if she tries hard enough, she can still taste the cotton candy on Toni’s lips and smell the sunscreen on her girlfriend’s warm skin. With greedy hands, Cheryl scoops the phone up and accepts the call with a breathless tone. But she immediately frowns when she hears a deep voice that definitely doesn’t belong to Toni.

  
_“Cheryl, it’s Toni.”_

  
“Oh, God. What did you do to her now? Is it her face? Please don’t tell me it’s her face. Pea, I swear if you busted her nose again…”

  
_“She’s in the hospital. W-We were h_ _eading back to our bikes when a Ghoulie approached and Jug said something and…it’s all just a fucking blur. One minute it was just words and the next…”_

  
“Wh-What happened?” Cheryl demands.

  
_“She got stabbed. You need to get here. Now.”_

  
Cheryl goes numb.

  
Everything around her seems like background noise and her body buzzes with fear. As she stands there, the phone slipping from her grasp, she hears the sound of a hoarse scream slip from someone and isn’t until Veronica frantically approaches her that she realizes  _she_ is that someone. Just as Kevin reaches her, her knees give out and she can’t seem to make out what he’s saying and she barely feels Betty’s hand resting gently on her back. No, all she can hear is Sweet Pea’s broken tone repeating over and over and  _over_ in her head, stuck on a loop that will never reach an end.

  
-

  
Cheryl doesn’t remember much of the ride to the hospital, mostly she remembers Betty talking to Jughead on the phone in a soft voice. She remembers Kevin helping her into the hospital, and she can remember seeing Sweet Pea leaned against the wall with blood smeared all over his front while Jughead sat beside him in a matching state. In that moment, Cheryl had felt the world slip from beneath her and she has no recollection of making it to a trash can before she emptied the contents of her stomach. Eventually, she finds herself sitting in an uncomfortable chair with a stiff spine and wide, unblinking eyes.

  
As she sits, all she can think about is how she should’ve seen this coming. Luck doesn’t exist in her world, there’s no such thing as happy endings; she’s a Blossom, all their love stories are meant to end in tragedies. But not Toni. No, Toni isn’t supposed to be a part of that. Not her girlfriend with her sweet smile and quick as a whip sass, not Toni who is pure magic and love. She wasn’t supposed to be touched by Cheryl’s darkness, but somehow she managed to be swallowed up in it.

  
“Here.”

  
Cheryl glances up at the offered water, “Thanks.”

  
“I uh don’t have enough cash on me to get you any coffee, and Toni says you refuse to drink anything other than Starbucks.” Fangs mumbles as he sits beside her. “She talks about you a lot."

 

Cheryl stares at him, takes in his soft eyes and shaking frame. She tries not to pay too much attention to the blood smeared on his cheek or the drying brown spots caked into his nails. No, she can’t focus on that because that’ll mean her girlfriend’s life is literally spread across him and she can’t handle that. Her stomach churns with the idea of it. So, instead she takes sips of her water and watches her friends mill around the waiting room as they all try to avoid getting in her path. Thankfully, Fangs is mostly silent as he sits beside her and bounces his knee and squeaks his sneakers against the tiles.

 

“What does she say?” Cheryl sniffles, and wide eyes blink towards her as his brow furrows. “When she talks about me? What does she say? Does she…does she really talk about me that much?”

 

“All the time. Y’know, she’s always been a flirt. Always liked to play games.” Fangs whispers as he stares down into his cup of water. “Until you. She told Sweets and me that you weren’t a game, that you were the real deal.”

 

Cheryl swallows down a sob, “Oh.”

 

The second she closes her eyes, Cheryl can almost see Toni smiling as she tells Fangs and Sweet Pea about her. She can picture the way her girlfriend bounces on her toes when she’s excited and the way her brown eyes shine whenever she is rambling about something. If she tries hard enough, she can picture Toni the way she’s supposed to be; she can picture her laid out in their bed in an oversized t-shirt and holding Blossom, she can picture Toni as something other than a bloody mess.

  
“Um, this is hers.” Fangs frowns as he arches his hips up to pull a necklace from his back pocket. “I nabbed it before the ambulance took off, she’d never forgive me if something happened to it. It was her mom’s.”

  
“Thank you. I’ll make sure to give it back to her as soon as she wakes up.” Cheryl murmurs as she stares down at the pool of silver Fangs releases into her palm. “She loves this locket.”

 

“She beat the shit out of some kid in fourth grade when he tried to steal it from her.” Fangs snorts, but Cheryl hears no humor in his tone. “She never takes it off. I’m uh sure you’ve noticed that. It’s kinda like Jug’s beanie, it’s just a part of who she is.”

 

Cheryl falls silent as she clutches the necklace, “Can I ask you something?”

 

Fangs nods, “Of course.”

 

  
“What  _happened_? I know Toni, I’ve seen her fight, she doesn’t leave herself open like this.” Cheryl hisses. “She’s too smart, her moves are too calculated. So, why was she so distracted?”

 

“I…” Fangs trails off with a frown.

 

“Fangs. Please.”

  
Fangs runs a hand through his dark locks, “The meeting had just broke and we were walking back to our bikes when a group of Ghoulies came around talking all kinds of shit. We ignored it up until they started running their mouths about FP.”

  
“You mean  _Jughead_ ignored it until they started talking about FP?” Cheryl corrects.

  
“Yeah. Kinda. They just…jumped us. It was nine against four, and Tiny got caught up in a group of three with Jughead. He turned away for a second and then they all scattered, when he turned back around she was on the ground.” Fangs mutters, and his jaw flexes in pain. “There was too much blood for us to just take her to one of our trailers, Jughead ended up calling an ambulance.”

  
Cheryl sucks her wobbling lower lip into her mouth as she gives a hard swallow, “W-Was she in pain? Did she say anything?”

  
“She’s Toni, of course she said things.” Fangs replies, and Cheryl cringes at the chuckle he forces out. “She was…crying. And Tiny doesn’t ever cry so we knew it was bad.”

  
“I need her to be okay.” Cheryl whimpers.

  
“You and me both.” Fangs sighs. “Toni’s been one of my best friends since second grade, she lived with me and my pops for a few months. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

  
Cheryl smiles softly, “She adores you.”

  
“And she adores  _you_.” Fangs shrugs as his expression turns serious. “We’ve all gotta keep her safe, y’know? Sweets and I may be her big brothers or whatever, but you got her entire heart. I know we’ve told you before, but…don’t break her heart, alright? She won’t live through it.”

  
Cheryl scoffs, “Break  _her_ heart? She’s the one who got stabbed! What about  _my_ heart?”

  
Fangs smirks as he slaps a giant hand on her small shoulder, “You can punish her when we finally see her, alright?”

 

Cheryl hangs on to the fact that he says  _when_ and not  _if_. Out of all the Serpents, Fangs is the most gentle; Toni has told her about his past, how he joined the gang for the sake of his terminally ill mother. He has such a huge heart, and Cheryl smiles softly as she glances momentarily into his warm eyes. He leaves shortly after and Sweet Pea takes his spot in silence. It gives Cheryl too much time to think, too much time to drown in her racing thoughts. What would she do if Toni died? What if there was a complication and Toni bled out on the table? Cheryl had seen so much loss in her life and Toni had been the shining light at the end, she didn’t think she’d survive if she lost Toni too.

  
Sweet Pea nudges her softly, “You okay?”

  
“Okay? Far from it.” Cheryl scoffs as she swipes at a single falling tear. “How could this  _happen_? She’s always so careful.”

  
“Tiny thinks with her heart too much.” Sweet Pea replies. “When those Ghoulies brought their knives out, she stopped watching her own back. She was just trying to protect us.”

  
“She’s an idiot.” Cheryl whispers.

  
“Oh, totally. But she’s  _your_ idiot.” Sweet Pea teases, and Cheryl finally cracks a smile. “She’s going to be fine. Just watch, she’ll be up and annoying the nurses within the next few days.”

  
“I just wish they’d tell us something.” Cheryl grumbles. “It’s torture just sitting here and waiting.”

  
“Thomas will tell us as soon as he knows something. It could be a while.” Sweet Pea warns as his knee bounces nervously. “So, do you want me to take you home…?”

  
“No. Of course not.” Cheryl scowls as she looks to Sweet Pea. “I’m not leaving until I see her. And I am not getting on your metal death trap. I’ve seen you drive before, it isn’t pleasant.”

  
Sweet Pea gives a forced smirk, “You have no problem getting on Tiny’s bike, and that girl uses her speed to make up for her lack of height.”

  
“Toni is a fantastic driver.” Cheryl sniffs, stumbling a bit over her girlfriend’s name. “At least let her be here to defend herself before you insult her.”

  
“She’s going to be alright. She’s tough.” Sweet Pea says gruffly, the Serpent on his neck glaring as he swallows thickly.

  
“I can’t lose her, Pea.” Cheryl whispers brokenkly.

  
Sweet Pea heaves a breath as he lifts his arm and Cheryl falls into his side. As she sits there, Cheryl realizes she hasn’t felt this bad in a while, not since Toni came into her life. This moment doesn’t feel right, not when everything has been so good for so long. Not when her nights have consisted of watching Toni dance in her underwear in the living room, not when her mornings are spent kissing her girlfriend against the counter and feeding her strawberries. Not when everything that has been so wrong has suddenly began to feel so right.

  
It doesn’t make sense, all of this. This isn’t supposed to be how their night went. Toni was supposed to pick her up, kiss her on the forehead and ask her if she wanted to go home. They were supposed to go home to Blossom, to shower together, and curl in bed together. She isn’t supposed to be sitting in a hospital waiting room, she isn’t meant to be counting the speckles of blood on Sweet Pea’s nails. But she is. So, she sits there and watches the time bleed together as she waits for Toni’s grandpa to receive some type of update on his granddaughter’s condition.

  
“Cheryl?”

  
The sound of her name is like someone slinging a cold bucket of water over her head as a chill runs down her spine. With swollen eyes, Cheryl slowly lifts her head and stares at the innocent, hesitant form of Betty Cooper. Just the sight of her stupid ponytail and powder blue cardigan sends a bolt of anger through her as she lifts her head from Sweet Pea’s shoulder. She sees the hesitance that shines in those bright blue eyes, and it only sparks the fire that crackles low in her stomach.

  
“What?”

  
Betty swallows hard, “Jug and I are going to head back to his trailer, he um…he wants to get cleaned up. Can I…is there anything you need us to get you before we go?”

  
“No.” Cheryl snaps.

  
“Okay. Is there anything you need us to get while we’re out? And I mean  _anything_.” Betty replies with a look of desperation. “Jug said we can stop by Thistlehouse and check on Blossom.”

  
“He’s fine. I’m fine.” Cheryl hisses. “Toni is  _not_.”

  
“Cheryl, I am so sorry this happened.” Betty softly murmurs with a grimace. “I’m just glad that no one else was hurt. Jug has a…”

  
“I don’t  _care_ about your boyfriend, you walking All American Doll.” Cheryl growls as her grasp tightens on the handles of the chair. “This is his fault. He should’ve never provoked those Ghoulies.”

  
“Jughead wasn’t trying…”

  
“I don’t care, Betty.” Cheryl scoffs. “Look at where we are. Look at what happened. I talked to Sweet Pea and Fangs, they told me that Toni tried to get Jughead to walk away but he wouldn’t. So this? This is on him no matter what you say.”

  
“Cheryl, that’s not fair.” Betty whispers.

  
Cheryl stands quickly, “It’s not  _fair_? No, what isn’t fair is that your boyfriend has caused problems a million different times and somehow Toni always ends up in the middle of it. It isn’t fair that my girlfriend was stabbed yet Jughead is walking around looking just fine. So, don’t talk to me about fair right now.”

  
“Jughead was defending his dad…”

  
“He started a fight that he had no business beginning. I will always stand by my Serpent brothers, but I’ll also admit when they’re wrong. And Jughead? He was wrong.” Fangs sighs as he stands beside Cheryl. “Toni could’ve died.”

  
“But she didn’t!” Betty exclaims. “She’s going to be okay.”

  
“Oh. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize that you had a  _medical_ degree.” Cheryl sneers, and Betty simply rolls her eyes. “You know nothing, Betty.”

  
“I’m not trying to upset you, Cheryl.” Betty sighs.

  
“Well, that ship has already sailed and  _sunk_. Consider me upset.” Cheryl replies. “My girlfriend could’ve died and you really want to stand in front of me and defend the person who caused this. Honestly, you can go and fuck yourself.”

  
“Alright. Retract your claws.” Sweet Pea snaps as he finally heaves himself from his chair. “This isn’t going to fix anything, it won’t change what happened. So, let’s drop this. For Toni’s sake.”

  
“I was only trying to offer to help.” Betty sighs with a look of defeat. “It’s not my fault that Cheryl has such a hard time believing there are other people in her life that care about her.”

  
Cheryl swells with immediate rage, “You do  _not_ want to go there.”

  
“Guys,” Veronica pleads as she joins them. “Sweet Pea is right, the doctor is going to come out with an update soon and he’ll throw us all out if he sees us fighting. Betty, just apologize.”

  
“For what?” Betty demands. “All I did was offer to get her something, to pick up some coffee for her. I know she’s dealing with all of this, but so are the rest of us. Jughead is…”

  
Cheryl shakes with annoyance, “Get out.”

  
“I…”

  
“I said get out!” Cheryl exclaims as she points towards the doors. “It’s clear all you care about is Jughead, and I don’t want to stare at your pitiful puppy dog eyes anymore. So, take Draco Malfoy home and leave me be.”

  
“Stop. Both of you.” Fangs calmly orders.

  
“Family of Antoinette?”

  
Cheryl turns from Betty in time to watch as a man in scrubs leads Thomas off to the side. As she stands there, she feels a hand clutch at her own and she looks into the comforting brown eyes of Veronica while Kevin slides up beside her. It seems like forever as she stares at the doctor, watches him speak quietly to Toni’s grandfather before the man claps Thomas on the shoulder and says something that makes him nod. As soon as she meets a strong, steady gaze she feels her knees go weak and Kevin immediately wraps a protective arm around her waist as she stumbles back while Thomas walks to them with a stone faced expression.

  
“She’s okay.”

  
Two little words. Two simple,  _amazing_ words and Cheryl bursts into tears.

  
“The surgery went fine, just had to do some patching up.” Thomas explains in a gruff tone. “She won’t be up for visitors for the next few days, doctor has her on some strong stuff. I appreciate everyone sticking around for her.”

  
“You let us know as soon as she’s awake.”

  
Cheryl barely lifts her gaze from the hospital floor as she hears FP’s commanding tone. Once again, it’s all just a blur. She doesn’t hear Kevin whisper a goodbye and an order to call him. She doesn’t remember hugging Veronica or feeling Archie kiss her cheek. She can barely form words when Betty finally says something about leaving, and all she can choke out is a thank you. The exhaustion of the situation hits her, and Cheryl finds herself breathless as she glances up and sees that the once packed waiting room only houses herself, Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Thomas. Toni’s family. Her whole world. The four people she holds the closest.

  
“She’s only allowed to see family.” Thomas frowns as he looks to them. “But if you happen to sneak into her room without me seeing then there’s nothing I can do. It’s room eighty five.”

  
The trio hurries off to the room and Cheryl squeezes past Sweet Pea to peer through the crack in the door. It takes her breath away as soon as she sees Toni, so peaceful and bruised. With a shudder of a breath, Cheryl pushes into the room and hurries across the floor as she reaches for Toni’s hand before she pulls it to her lips and presses gentle kisses to each one of her knuckles. A slow tear trails down her face as she stares at Toni, takes in the dried blood from her split lip and the nasty black eye that is beginning to swell. She takes in the wires and machines, the steady beep of a heartbeat, and files the knowledge of seeing that her girlfriend is okay. She’s  _alive_.

  
“Hey, baby. You scared me.” Cheryl whispers as she stares down at Toni. “I hope you know that you have a very long lecture coming your way. Prepare yourself for a PowerPoint.”

  
Sweet Pea stands back and keeps a close eye on the couple; Cheryl’s fire has returned and he knows the sight of Toni is what sparked it. Once again, he sees life and happiness bleed into eyes that were once so empty. He can see how much Cheryl adores his best friend, he sees it in the way she whispers softly to Toni while her lips leave gentle kisses on her bruised and scarred knuckles. He feels it radiate off her and through the room, and he finds that it makes him warm and light.

  
“You need to wake up,” Cheryl sighs as she stares down at Toni. “I can’t do this without you, you’re my clarity. So, open those gorgeous eyes so I can feel a little more sane.”

  
Fangs nudges him with a smirk, “We were right about her, dude.”

  
“Yeah.” Sweet Pea whispers as he watches Cheryl lay her head down on Toni’s mattress. “She really is Tiny’s soulmate.”


	7. the blood on my hands (scares me to death)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pt. ii

“Hello.”

  
Thomas looks away from his granddaughter, “Cheryl. I appreciate you coming to stay with her. I promise not to be gone long.”

  
“It’s okay.” Cheryl assures him. “There’s no place I’d rather be than right here with her. You deserve to sleep somewhere other than a hospital chair, I’ll keep an eye on her till you’ve rested up.”

  
“You haven’t slept anywhere other than this hospital as well. It’s been three days.” Thomas reminds her as he heaves himself from his chair. “After I come back, you should get some rest yourself.”

  
“We’ll see.” Cheryl nods.

  
The man doesn’t try to pressure her, he just presses a kiss to Toni’s forehead and excuses himself. As soon as he’s gone, Cheryl feels the weight of the room fall upon her as she looks to her dozing girlfriend. She’s visited her a few times, but Toni has spent a majority of her time asleep; Cheryl figures it’s better that way, she can’t imagine having to see Toni in too much pain. With a soft smile, Cheryl lowers herself to the uncomfortable chair and reaches out for Toni’s limp hand.

  
The clock ticks on the wall and the flow of the vitals match each beat of her heart, and the sound brings her comfort. It means Toni is  _alive_. With a hum, Cheryl runs her gaze over the soft brown and pink of Toni’s hair and over the sharp line of her jaw. It always amazes her how peaceful Toni looks while she’s sleeping, so far away from the harsh reality of their lives. On the rare mornings she would wake up before Toni, she would watch her girlfriend sleep and marvel over the fact that she had found someone to cherish. Someone who cherishes  _her_. Someone she wants to build her future with, build her life around.

  
“What are you dreaming about, baby?” Cheryl whispers.

  
“M’you.”

  
Cheryl startles, “Toni?”

  
Hazy brown eyes slowly meet hers, “Hi.”

  
“Hey.” Cheryl whispers, and her lips tremble as she presses them to Toni’s knuckles. “I’m so glad you’re awake, baby. I hope I didn’t wake up, I didn’t mean to.”

  
Toni smiles in exhaustion, “S’okay.”

  
“Are you  _okay_?” Cheryl chokes out.

  
“Mhm.” Toni hums as she struggles to blink. “You?”

  
“I was so scared, Toni,” Cheryl admits as tears slowly trace down her cheeks. “I was so scared I was going to lose you. I  _can’t_ lose you. I can’t do this without you. I can’t live without you.”

  
“M’not going anywhere, babe.” Toni assures her as she furrows her brow and winces. “ _Fuck_. I don’t feel so good, Cher.”

  
“I’m so sorry, Toni. The medicine should kick in soon.” Cheryl sniffles as she reaches out to brush a hand along her cheek. “I-I’ve been waiting for you to wake up. You’ve been conscious, but nowhere near lucid enough for any of us to have a conversation with you.”

  
Toni laughs softly and immediately hisses, “It  _hurts_.”

  
“You had a large blade plunged through your stomach, it’s going to hurt for awhile.” Cheryl scoffs with an amused roll of her eyes. “The doctor said it’ll be a few days until the pain lessens.”

  
“I want it to go away now.” Toni huffs.

  
“Always the one for dramatics.” Cheryl grins, and her gaze softens at the pain in Toni’s gaze. “Do you want me go get the doctor?”

  
“No. Just…” Toni trails off as she licks at her dry lips and grunts in frustration. “Gimme a second. I just need to wake up.”

  
“You should be sleeping.” Cheryl muses.

  
Toni gives a weak smile, “I’d rather stare at your beautiful face.”

  
“Always trying to slip in lines.” Cheryl teases as she presses a kiss to Toni’s knuckles. “But I’m serious. Go to sleep.”

  
“You’ll be here when I wake up?” Toni slurs.

  
“They’ll have to pull me away kicking and screaming, my love.” Cheryl assures her, and Toni smiles once more before she begins to drift. “Sweet dreams, I love you.”

  
Cheryl watches Toni with an adoring stare as she sleeps, and she tries to make sense of her last few days. Everything seems to be moving in fast motion and Cheryl is trying desperately to keep up, it’s like every time she is within reaching distance reality just slips from her grip. She tries to piece together the nights she has spent crying and the days she has spent mindlessly sitting in a hospital chair as Toni sleeps, but it just blurs together. Part of her wants everything to slow down so she can catch up, but a larger part of her is grateful that the entire situation hasn’t quite hit her. She isn’t so sure she’s ready to deal with the fallout of that.

  
“Hi.”

  
Cheryl tenses, “Cousin Betty.”

  
“I brought some flowers.” Betty whispers as she approaches the table to set them aside. “Just wanted to brighten up the room a little.”

  
“Who let you back?” Cheryl demands.

  
“Um, Sweet Pea. Jughead wanted to come back, but Fangs won’t let him.” Betty replies as she nervously wrings her hands. “He wanted to come back and apologize.”

  
“Toni needs to sleep…”

  
“He wanted to apologize to  _you_.” Betty cuts in, and Cheryl tilts her head in confusion. “He feels awful about what happened, and he knows you blame him. He just wanted to apologize for everything.”

  
“I don’t want to hear him apologize, I want to  _see_ it. I want to see him change.” Cheryl murmurs. “She keeps getting thrown in the middle of his plans, and this time she almost got killed. So, I don’t want to hear an apology.”

  
Betty gives a small nod, “I understand.”

  
“Do you?” Cheryl scoffs as she turns her head to meet Betty’s wide eyes. “Do you understand what this is like? Do you know what it’s like to have Sweet Pea call you to tell you the woman you love has been  _stabbed_? Because if you do then by all means, keep saying you understand.”

  
“Why are you being so  _mean_ , Cheryl? I’m trying.”

  
“And I appreciate that. I do. I’m not trying to be mean, I’m trying to open your eyes.” Cheryl hisses as her hand tightens around Toni’s. “I almost lost her. And for what? For FP’s honor? For Jughead’s ego? For some silly complex that she owes these people her life?”

  
Betty folds her arms over her chest, “This comes with the territory of dating a Serpent, Cheryl. It’s hard, but it’s something you just have to accept. You have to learn to just live with it.”

  
“I can live with dating a Serpent.” Cheryl assures her as her attention falls back to Toni. “But I can’t…no, I  _won’t_ live without her.”

  
“You really love her.” Betty whispers. “Don’t you?”

  
“More than I have ever loved anyone.” Cheryl admits as she reaches out to smooth a strand of hair from Toni’s pale face. “Thank you for the flowers, Toni will appreciate the color.”

  
Cheryl is thankful that Betty gets the silent cue and slips from the room. With a breath of irritation, Cheryl releases Toni’s hand so she can type out a text to Sweet Pea telling him to keep everyone out of the room. Deep down, Cheryl knows it’s selfish to keep their friends away but she doesn’t care. Right now all she cares about is her girlfriend getting better and getting her home. Now, with Toni slowly breaking through her drug induced sleep, Cheryl knows she is one step closer to healing.

  
“I’ll wait for you to wake up.” Cheryl mutters as she gives a small, broken hearted smile. “Just hurry up and get better, my love.”

  
-

  
“Ragamuffins.”

  
Fangs smiles in exhaustion, “Queen B.”

  
“I don’t know how you’ve managed to convince the nurses to ignore visiting hours, but I appreciate the effort.” Cheryl hums. “That one nurse, the one with on too many piercings, has finally stopped giving me death stares. Although she did tell me to tell you two to stop throwing stuff.”

  
“Someone has to keep her entertained.” Sweet Pea replies as he tosses a rubber band ball towards Fangs. “And she likes to threaten the nurses so we keep her in line when you can’t.”

  
Toni huffs from her place in the hospital bed, “I’m not  _five_. You guys don’t have to take shifts babysitting me, I’ll be fine.”

  
“My love,” Cheryl coos as she crosses the room to stand on the side of Toni’s bed. “I don’t know if anyone told you, but you were stabbed. A long blade entered your body, cut through _a lot_  of muscle, and now you’re here. So, you’re getting a babysitter whether you like it or not.”

  
“Fine.” Toni grumbles.

  
“You are so whipped.” Sweet Pea snorts. “Cheryl could ask you to jump off a roof and you’d do it with a big ass smile on your face. It’s pathetic, Tiny. You have become  _pathetic_.”

  
“Lucky me.” Toni shrugs, but she immediately hisses in pain. “Fucking  _fuck_. It literally hurts to breathe. Remind me to never get shanked again.”

  
“Not funny.”

  
Toni winces at the three unamused voices, “Too soon?”

  
“ _Way_ too soon.” Sweet Pea replies with a roll of his eyes. “Make jokes like that when you’re not laid up in a hospital bed, alright?”

  
“When are you getting out of here anyway?” Fangs asks with a small frown.

  
“Two weeks and three days. She has to do some physical therapy first.” Cheryl sighs as she runs a finger through pink and caramel locks. “After that, she’ll be laid up in bed for a week.”

  
“And then back to that hell hole called school. Go from one shit place to the next.” Toni sighs. “But I at least get to have my sexy ass girlfriend waiting on me hand and foot.”

  
Cheryl rolls her eyes with a blush, “Nana thinks it’d be better for us to hire a nurse that’s trained to deal with your type of injuries. I don’t want the wound to get infected.”

  
“She’s gonna see me shirtless.” Toni warns with an amused smirk, and her eyes light up as Cheryl’s lips twitch into a scowl. “And she’ll be putting her hands  _all_ over my body.”

  
“On second thought,” Cheryl hisses as her jaw flexes in annoyance. “I suppose I could speak with a doctor, maybe he can show me how to go about changing the bandage and making sure you don’t injure yourself further.”

  
Toni purses her lips, “You think Amazon sells sexy nurse costumes? But like not the cheap Halloween ones, the ones you use for roleplaying.”

  
“On that note.” Fangs chirps as he scrambles quickly from his chair. “I’m going to go somewhere  _far_ away from this conversation.”

  
Sweet Pea hurries to his feet, “I don’t want to watch you guys tear each other’s clothes off again, I’m going with him.”

  
“Sex is  _so_ not happening for a while.” Cheryl sneers.

  
Toni gaps in horror, “ _What_?”

  
“You were  _stabbed_ , Antoinette.” Cheryl reminds her as their eyes lock. “At this point, sex won’t even be a discussion until you’ve been cleared for physical activity by your doctor.”

  
“But…” Toni trails off with a pout. “Why am  _I_ being punished?”

  
“Because you got stabbed.” Sweet Pea snorts.

  
Toni flashes him a quick glare, “I thought you were leaving.”

  
“Alright, alright. Consider us gone.” Sweet Pea grumbles as he gives her a wink. “Rest up, Tiny. We’ll swing and check on you tomorrow after school, alright?”

  
“See ya, you big lugs.” Toni calls.

  
Cheryl smiles softly as the two slip easily from the hospital room, “Did they wear you out? Are you wanting to get some sleep?”

  
“No, not yet.” Toni shrugs as she glances towards her abandoned cup. “Can you um can you pass me my cup?”

  
“Of course, babe,” Cheryl nods. “You don’t have to be ashamed to ask, Toni.”

  
“I’m not used to this. I didn’t really have anyone who cared to ice my bruises and wait on me when I was growing up.” Toni explains. “It’s a little bit hard to get used to.”

  
“Well, I hope you adjust to it soon because I’m at your service for as long as you want me.” Cheryl whispers as she hands Toni her cup.

  
Cheryl stares at Toni as she sips at her water and struggles to find a comfortable position in her bed. After a moment, her girlfriend huffs and collapses back on the mattress with a disgruntled scowl. Time is creeping by and every day Toni gets a little stronger, a little better. But it isn’t enough. She’s still trapped in the hospital, still in pain, and Cheryl just wants to sweep her up and away from this place. With a sigh, Cheryl tilts her head and she can’t fight her smile of adoration as wide brown eyes snap to look at her with confusion shining in them.

  
“Hi.” Cheryl grins.

  
Toni gives a lopsided smile, “Hi, babe.”

  
“You’re getting more color in your cheeks.” Cheryl notes as she lifts a hand to brush her fingertips along Toni’s cheek. “How are you feeling?”

  
“Stronger.” Toni shrugs as she pulls Cheryl’s away from her cheek and holds tight to her fingers. “How are  _you_ feeling?”

  
“The bed is too big without you.” Cheryl pouts.

  
“I’ll be home soon.” Toni assures her.

  
Cheryl hums, “Yeah.”

  
“Do you want to talk about what’s  _really_ going on in that head of yours?” Toni whispers.

  
“No…”

  
“Babe, it’s me. Open up.” Toni orders in a soft voice, and Cheryl simply meets her worried gaze. “Is this about what happened?”

  
Cheryl nods nervously, “Yes.”

  
“What do you want to know?”

  
“What happened?” Cheryl demands, and she curses herself for the way her voice breaks. “You’re a strong fighter, baby. And you’re  _smart_. How did something like this happen?”

  
“There were a lot of them, and four of us.” Toni sighs as she plays with Cheryl’s fingers. “We tried to keep things from escalating…well,  _I_ did but it just got out of control. One second we were yelling at each other and the next Jughead had socked one of the guys. After that, all hell broke loose.”

  
Cheryl swallows hard, “And you? What did you do?”

  
“I protected my boys.” Toni shrugs. “I was fighting two while Jughead took care of the leader. At one point, the guy managed to land a good hit on Jughead and I saw the knife, so I reacted. I swung on him and he overpowered me.”

  
“Dammit, TT,” Cheryl sniffles as she quickly swipes away a falling tear. “You don’t realize how scared I was…”

  
“I-I hesitated.”

  
“What?”

  
“During the fight. I hesitated.” Toni murmurs. “I heard your voice in the back of my head and I thought about you waiting for me at home and I just couldn’t do it. I just wanted to go home to you.”

  
Cheryl whimpers at the confession, “Oh, babe.”

  
“I thought about you.” Toni whispers as she pulls Cheryl’s knuckles to her lips. “When I was laying there, all I could think about was that I didn’t get to ask you to marry me. I didn’t get to whisk you away from this awful town.”

  
“You really enjoy making me cry.” Cheryl mumbles as she quickly wipes away a tear. “I remember sitting there in the waiting room and just thinking about how much I love you.”

  
Toni smiles adoringly, “I love you more.”

  
“I don’t know if that’s possible.” Cheryl murmurs as she shakes her head. “You’re my entire world, Toni. I don’t know how to be me without you anymore.”

  
“Hey, look at me,” Toni frowns, and Cheryl slowly meets her narrowed eyes. “It’s going to be okay. I’m not going anywhere, Cheryl. I will  _never_ leave you, okay? I’m here to stay.”

  
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, TT…”

  
“I didn’t promise anything because I don’t need to. I know I won’t leave you, you’re stuck with me.” Toni chirps. “You and me? We’re it, Cheryl. We’re going to be high school sweethearts who have a million little redheaded babies and grow old together.”

  
Cheryl gives a watery laugh, “Yeah?”

  
“Of course.” Toni beams.

  
“You’re a dream, Antoinette.” Cheryl sighs, and Toni simply gives a playful wink. “I don’t know how I ended up getting so lucky with you, but I will forever be grateful for that drag race.”

  
Toni chuckles, “You and me both, babe.”

  
Cheryl presses forward to drop a gentle kiss upon Toni’s smiling lips, “Now, rest up. I need you better so I can get you out of here.”

  
“I’ll go to sleep on one condition…”

  
“I am  _not_ stealing the pudding cup from Mr. Walker’s room. Have Sweet Pea do it.” Cheryl cuts in with a roll of her eyes.

  
“What? No. No criminal activity involved. I just want you to…” Toni hisses as she shifts to make room on the small hospital bed. “Son of a  _bitch_. I just want you to hold me.”

  
“Hey, stop moving. You’ll rip your stitches.” Cheryl scolds as her hands hover over Toni. “And if you think I’m getting in that bed then you are crazy, I don’t want to hurt you.”

  
“It hurts knowing you’re so far away.” Toni whines as she struggles to reach out and awkwardly pat at the mattress. “Please?”

  
Cheryl immediately melts under the wide eyes and pout, and she hates how easy it is for Toni to get her to fold. With a grumble of displeasure, Cheryl stands to kick off her heels before she peeks nervously at the door as she crawls onto the bed. With as much stealth as she could manage, Cheryl finally lays back and sighs happily as Toni settles into her side. With such ease, Toni manages to wipe away the stress of the last week and all Cheryl can do is bask in it as she presses a soft, lingering kiss to her girlfriend’s head.

  
“I feel better.” Toni grins.

  
“Oh, I’m sure.” Cheryl snorts.

  
“Um, this is uh gonna sound stupid,” Toni warns as she nuzzles her nose into Cheryl’s neck. “But can you sing to me?”

  
Cheryl stills, “Sing?”

  
“Yeah. I just…I need to hear your voice.” Toni admits as her cheeks flush a dark pink. “Fuck. That sounds so lame. You don’t have to.”

  
“I want to. Anything for you.” Cheryl whispers as she kisses Toni’s head again. “What a surprise, gazing into your eyes. I swear that I still got lost in the light. No photograph could possibly show the you I know.”

  
Toni lights up, “No doubts, no more fears…”

  
Cheryl scowls in displeasure, “I thought this was a  _solo_.”

  
“Sorry, baby.” Toni yawns.

  
“Anyway. Where was I?” Cheryl huffs, but Toni knows it holds no bite. “No doubts, no more fears. I see you shine and the dark disappears, then I know everything will fine because you’re mine.”

  
“S’good.” Toni mumbles tiredly. “Keep going.”

  
Cheryl allows her soft voice to sweep Toni off, and heart warms as her girlfriend finally goes slack in her arms and falls asleep. She lays there with Toni pressed warmly against her side and everything seems so much better. Cheryl is in love with Toni, and there’s no denying it. Her heart and soul belong to the beautiful woman in her arms, and Toni is  _safe_. She’s alive. She’s okay. She’s here. And that thought lulls Cheryl into a peaceful sleep.

  
-

 

Two weeks and four days. It takes two weeks and four days before Toni is released with strict instructions that Cheryl follows even though Toni pouts in annoyance. Cheryl pretty much spends every waking moment stressing, and it takes both Veronica and Toni to convince her to go back to school. She cries the night before she goes back and Toni simply holds her and kisses away her tears; she just doesn’t know if she can do it, she doesn’t know if she can willingly part with Toni. But she will. She  _does_. All because Toni asks her to.

  
Toni may be home, but she’s still stuck on bed rest and she insists her friends and girlfriend go on with their lives. So, Cheryl does. She mindlessly wanders into school with exhaustion clear on her face and Toni’s jacket snug on her body. She feels the eyes on her as she struts through the halls, but she doesn’t have it in her to care. All she wants is to get through this day so it’ll be one step closer to being able to be back with her girlfriend. She knows the school has heard about Toni’s accident and some are sympathetic, but mostly everyone tiptoes around her in an effort to avoid her wrath.

  
Everyone except Reggie Mantle and Chuck Clayton.

  
Cheryl knows she shouldn’t be surprised when she catches wind of the things being said by Riverdale High’s golden boys, but it doesn’t stop her from burning with rage. She doesn’t care if people aren’t fond of Toni or the Serpents, but Cheryl refuses to allow them to trash the only people who care and love Cheryl for who she is. So, when third period dismisses them, Cheryl storms through the halls until she finds their little huddle laughing loudly against a row of lockers.

  
“I heard that snake is still in the hospital.”

  
If a fire was crackling before, it only grows at the words that Reggie spews. A fight has been brewing in her for days, and she’s ready to take her anger out on  _somebody_. She’s glad that this someone deserves it. Just as she steps forward, she feels a strong arm push against her middle and she lifts her head to meet Sweet Pea’s gaze. She pushes against his arm with a silent order to release her, but he stiffens his arm and gives her a strong shove until she stumbles back into Kevin’s arms.

  
“What do you want, Danny Zuko?” Chuck demands.

  
Sweet Pea slowly steps forward, “I understand that the two of you have been running your mouths, disrespecting one of us.”

  
“Oh, that Serpent slut?” Reggie laughs. “She got what she deserved. It’s a shame that freak couldn’t finish her off for good.”

  
Cheryl chokes on a breath, “Excuse me?”

  
Reggie smirks, “I said it’s too bad that loser did such a botched job, could’ve gotten rid of that Serpent scum without any of us getting our hands dirty.”

  
“I will  _kill_ you.” Sweet Pea growls.

  
“Hey, all I need is a knife and we can start taking you greasers down one by one.” Chuck smirks as he trades a high five with a teammate. “So, I suggest you steer clear.”

  
Sweet Pea chuckles deep in his throat, “You don’t scare me.”

  
“I should.” Chuck scoffs as he shoves Sweet Pea’s shoulders. “Then again, you’re hanging around the likes of Cheryl Blossom and nothing’s scarier than that cold hearted bitch.”

  
“Watch it.” Fangs growls.

  
“Oh God. You’re defending the Ice Queen now too? You freaks really at warped.” Reggie snorts. “How much is she paying you to do her bidding?”

  
Cheryl gives a breath of laughter, “Oh, Reginald. That’s cute.  _You’re_ cute. Unlike you, I’ve earned the loyalty I receive from them. You see, you have it in your head that your precious Bulldogs respect you but I think all that gel you use is starting to seep into that tiny brain of yours.”

  
“Oh, fuck  _off_.” Reggie laughs as he flashes a glance to Cheryl. “You’re the worst part of this situation. You hate the Southside yet you’ve taken it upon yourself to shack up with their princess.”

  
Cheryl rolls her eyes, “No need to pour all your jealousy into this, Mantle. All I care about is that you keep my girlfriend’s name out of your mouths. I’d appreciate it if you’d respect her.”

  
“Are you serious?” Chuck laughs as he steps into Cheryl’s space. “Your little  _girlfriend_ got what was coming to her, just because that Serpent slut spread her legs for you doesn’t mean that the rest of us have to tolerate her.”

  
Cheryl squeaks in surprise as she is jolted forward when a form comes crashing by and a fist collides with Chuck’s jaw. She expects it to be Sweet Pea or Fangs, but instead she is met with Jughead’s darkening gaze as he stands over Chuck’s sprawled form with Sweet Pea at his side. As Cheryl looks to him, she sees the clear exhaustion and anger in his dark eyes; all it takes is one look at Jughead to see that he’s struggling with this situation just as badly as she is. Much to her displeasure, she feels  _guilty_ for the anger and harsh words she has thrown his way over the last week.

  
Jughead stares down at Chuck with a heaving chest and a scowl on his face, “Talk about her like that one more time.”

  
“You’re dead, Jones…”

  
“I don’t think so, you brainless bastard.” Cheryl scoffs as she steps into Reggie’s space and brings her knee up to connect with his pelvis. “He isn’t the only one who gets to have some fun.”

  
Cheryl isn’t really sure what happens after that, it all becomes a blur of Serpents and Bulldogs. The next thing she can really get a grasp on is one of the Serpents sweeping her from the growing crowd and moving her away from the fight. She tries to throw herself into the fray, but Veronica keeps a tight grasp on her arm and Kevin clutches onto her hand as they watch on in horror. Much to Cheryl’s surprise, she sees Archie fighting alongside Jughead and a swell of gratitude fills her as she notices the protective gleam to his gaze. It amazes her that Golden Boy Andrews is fighting alongside the very people who he supposedly hates.

  
“ _Hey_! Hey, that’s enough!”

  
A few students manage to scatter, but Cheryl finds herself being herded to Principal Weatherbee’s office alongside most of the Serpents. As soon as they’re in the cramped space, the man separates them and Cheryl is surprised that she is grouped with the Serpents on the opposite side of the room. With a sigh, she lowers herself beside Jughead and takes her time to observe him from the corner of her eye; he has a busted lips and a swelling left eye, but he doesn’t look too bad. Not as bad as Reggie who is unable to open his right eye while Fangs is using his tongue to wiggle a tooth that looks a little too loose on his bottom row.

  
“Thank you.” Cheryl whispers.

  
Jughead rubs his fist and twitches his lips into a ghost of a smile, “Toni’s one of my best friends, I’d do it again if I had to.”

  
“I’m…sorry. For blaming you.” Cheryl sighs. “Look, I don’t do  _apologetic_. I’m not good at it. But I do appreciate you defending her honor.”

  
Jughead smiles softly, “Like I said, she’s my best friend and my family. Serpents don’t let others get away with disrespecting their own, especially when the one they’re defending is the self-declared princess.”

  
“She  _is_ a princess.” Cheryl huffs, but her tone holds no anger. “I wouldn’t be caught dead dating a peasant, I have standards.”

  
“Of course you do.” Jughead sniffs, and his brow furrows as he crosses his arms. “I’m sorry. For what happened, for getting Toni involved. If I could go back, I would’ve just kept my mouth shut.”

  
“Oh, I highly doubt that.” Cheryl hums, and Jughead flashes her a bemused frown. “Face it, Jones, you’re a hothead. We have that in common. We don’t know when to stop.”

  
“It’s a very… _trying_ habit.” Jughead chuckles.

  
“I’ve come to realize that.” Cheryl replies with a lopsided grin, and she runs her gaze over him with a giggle. “I think Toni would be knocked breathless if she saw us right now.”

  
“Betty would have a heart attack.” Jughead snorts.

  
“Oh sweet cousin Betty.” Cheryl sighs.

  
“Y’know, we’re probably going to get suspended for this.” Jughead points out as he looks to her with amusement in his gaze. “You sure you can handle that, Cheryl?”

  
Cheryl twists her lips into a frown, “I’d prefer a suspension. Now that Toni is home, I want to be able to be home to take care of her.”

  
“Planning to play nursemaid?” Jughead asks.

  
“Mm, Toni and I do enjoy a good roleplaying session. And I  _would_ look adorable in a nurse’s costume. Thanks for the idea.” Cheryl beams, and Jughead audibly gags. “Oh please, like you and Betty don’t get a little kinky.”

  
Jughead is saved from having to answer as their principal ushers a group of Bulldogs from his office and waves the Serpents and Cheryl inside. Her heart is pounding in her chest as she is offered one of the chairs, and she is quick to meet Weatherbee’s glare as he looks at them. It amazes her that she once used to look at the Serpents the way their principal does now; he looks at them with so much judgment, his eyes leaking with disgust. It makes her fists curl and that dark part of her shake to be released, it makes harsh words settle on the tip of her tongue. It’s all she can focus on as he drones on, as he lazily goes about scolding them for something they didn’t do.

  
“Frankly, I’m tired of repeating myself.” The man scoffs. “Mr. Mantle gave me his version of what happened, and he let me know who threw the first punch. Mr. Jones, it was you…correct?”

  
Jughead shrugs, “Yes, sir.”

  
“To avoid any more of these… _confrontations_ , I think it’ll be best for a few days of suspension.” Principal Weatherbee hisses as he looks to Jughead. “Your suspension will be set for seven days, when you return you’ll be enjoying a few weeks of after school detention.”

  
With that, he begins to deal out detentions to the other Serpents who take them with smirks; Cheryl isn’t surprised that they’re proud of it. As she sits and watches, she notes the way the man’s eyes continuously skip over her until Sweet Pea is the last one left. As soon as Sweet Pea is dealt two days of suspension and four Saturday detentions, Principal Weatherbee falls silent and narrows his eyes before he warns them all to learn how to stay out of trouble and to learn how to fight with something other than their fists.

  
Cheryl clears her throat, “And me?”

  
“Seeing as you are a model student and this is your first offense, I’ll be setting you up with three days of morning detention.” Principal Weatherbee replies with a nod. “I do advise you to look for better company, Ms. Blossom.”

  
“That  _company_ is my girlfriend and my friends.”

  
Principal Weatherbee flinches and squirms in his chair, “I’m well aware of your new… _friendships_. I just think it’d be wise for the captain of the Vixens to be setting a better example for the girls she leads, teaching them how to display class.”

  
“My girls don’t need me to teach them anything about class.” Cheryl sneers. “If anything,  _you_ need to learn some class.”

  
Principal Weatherbee huffs as the Serpents smother their laughter into their hands, “You’re toeing a fine line, Ms. Blossom. I’d advise you to take a step back to avoid crossing it.”

  
“Consider it crossed.” Cheryl drawls. “You’re punishing them for defending their friend, you have no idea what Reggie and Chuck were saying about her. You didn’t even care to ask, you just displayed your typical bias attitude.”

  
“Ms. Blossom,” The man growls. “You are  _this_ close to being suspended…”

  
“Then suspend me, Mr. Weatherbee.” Cheryl snaps as she crosses her arms over her chest. “I will go down fighting for Toni’s respect. So, you might as well do yourself a favor and nip the problem in the bud while you can.”

  
Principal Weatherbee clenches his jaw and curls his hands into fists, “Very well. Consider it done. Your consequences will be the same as Mr. Jones. I don’t want to see either of you on this campus for the next five days.”

  
Jughead salutes sarcastically, “Consider me gone.”

  
Cheryl is a little surprised by the sense of pride that washes over her as she stands to follow the herd of Serpents from the office. As they spill into the hallway, Sweet Pea gives her a smirk and throws a strong arm around her shoulders as he guides her from the school and towards her car. All the pent of adrenaline fades slowly as she drives home to Toni, everything melts away until she is left feeling blank. It isn’t till she wanders into Thistlehouse and hears Toni laughter that she settles; her heels click evenly on the hardwood floors as she follows the sound, and her heart skips a beat as she happens upon her girlfriend. Toni is still on the couch with Blossom asleep on the chair nearby and a half eaten bowl of popcorn abandoned on the coffee table.

  
“Well, don’t you look comfortable.” Cheryl muses as she crosses the room to hover over the back of the couch. “Hi, baby.”

  
Toni beams up at her, “You’re home.”

  
“Did Pea text you?” Cheryl demands as she leans down to press a kiss to Toni’s forehead. “Because you know he loves to rile you up, and the fight wasn’t  _that_ bad.”

  
“Fight?” Toni repeats slowly. “What fight?”

  
“Oh.”

  
“Cher,” Toni begins with a hesitant frown. “What are you talking about? Did the boys get into a fight? Are they okay? Oh God, did  _you_ get into a fight? If someone touched you then I swear I’ll…”

  
“Hey, calm down.” Cheryl orders as she narrows her eyes. “Reel in the dramatics, TT.  _I_ technically started the fight. Let’s just say that Jughead fed Chuck a nice knuckle sandwich.”

  
Toni laughs adoringly, “Only my girlfriend could use the term  _knuckle sandwich_ and sound absolutely adorable while doing it.”

  
“You’re hateful.” Cheryl huffs.

  
“Aw, baby,” Toni coos, and Cheryl immediately stiffens as she notices a flare of pain erupt in brown eyes. “Fuck. I can’t lift my arms…”

  
“Good. You don’t deserve cuddles.” Cheryl scoffs even as she walks around the couch to drop gracefully beside Toni. “Would you like for me to tell you what happened?”

  
“Only if you kiss me first.”

  
Cheryl feels her heart thud heavily as she takes in Toni’s serious expression, and she can’t bear to deny her adorable girlfriend of her request. As soon as she leans into Toni, her blood sings and her entire body warms; she supposes this is what it feels like, love that is. She feels it rush through her as she cradles Toni’s face and pushes closer to her, close enough to feel like she can safely melt into the other woman’s arms. She kisses her until her lungs scream in protest and black spots dance behind her eyelids, kisses her until her world spins and slowly collapses from beneath her feet.

  
“Wow.” Toni pants as Cheryl slowly draws away and rests their foreheads together. “Not sure what brought  _that_ on, but maybe you should kiss me like that every day.”

  
Cheryl smiles softly, “Your wish is my command.”

  
“Ah, now you’re acting cute.” Toni smirks as she pulls back to playfully narrow her eyes. “Being cute isn’t going to stop me from thinking about the fact that my beautiful girlfriend got into a  _fight_ with a bunch of airheads today.”

  
“Just preparing myself.” Cheryl shrugs.

  
Toni arches an eyebrow, “For?”

  
“TT, it isn’t going to be long before I’m sporting my own cheesy leather jacket. This is part of being a Serpent. I know the laws and…”

  
“We’ve talked about this.” Toni cuts in, and Cheryl startles at the ice in her tone. “We’re not discussing you joining till after graduation. If it’s something you  _really_ want then we can talk to FP about it, but your main focus is supposed to be college.”

  
Cheryl rolls her eyes, “You don’t get to decide my future for me.”

  
“But I do get a say in it, remember? This is  _our_ future. Together. Or has that changed?” Toni snaps, but Cheryl sees the immediate regret. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”

  
“Yes you did.” Cheryl sighs as she reaches out to brush a hand over Toni’s bruised cheek. “And you’re right, it is our future. That hasn’t changed, I promise. Can we just…drop this? Just till you’re not healing from a stab wound?”

  
“Yeah, babe,” Toni nods. “I’d like that.”

  
“How about One Tree Hill and pizza?” Cheryl suggests in a soft tone. “It’s almost time for your pain killers so you’ll be passed out before the first episode is over.”

  
Toni smiles softly, “No homework?”

  
“I have an entire week to worry about that. The beauty of suspension.” Cheryl chirps as she stands from the couch. “I’m going to go order the pizza, que up season three.”

  
“Wait!  _Suspension_? Cheryl, get back here!”

  
Cheryl giggles and flees from the room.


	8. the blood on my hands (scares me to death)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pt. iii

“Babe, I’m done!”

  
Cheryl sighs as she finishes stripping the sheets back, “Give me a second, I’m just getting the bed ready for you.”

  
“I love that you’re such a great nurse.”

  
“You’re very lucky to have me.” Cheryl nods as she fluffs a pillow. “So, do you wanna binge watch something on Netflix or did your shower tire you out? Either way, I’m going to be doing homework while you rest.”

 

  
“Only  _you_ would get suspended and spend the entire week doing the work.” Toni scoffs. “Are you ever going to stop and pay attention to me?”

  
“TT, you have my attention.  _Always_.” Cheryl replies, and her lips quirk into a smile as she finds her girlfriend waiting in a towel. “Do you feel better?”

  
“I feel clean.” Toni shrugs. “But also naked.”

  
“Naked you is one of my favorite versions of you. So much to enjoy.” Cheryl purrs as she moves to where Toni’s bandages are waiting. “Are you ready for me to change your dressing?”

  
Toni blinks owlishly, “I’m still stuck on you admiring naked me.”

  
“Well, until you’ve healed,  _admiring_ is all I’ve got. So, get your cute ass over here.” Cheryl orders with a playful snip of the scissors.

  
“Yes ma’am.” Toni salutes as she hobbles over.

  
Cheryl goes through the motion of changing Toni’s bandage in complete autopilot. She is careful as she removes the dressing and halfheartedly listens to Toni talk quietly about having Kevin over for dinner and Cheryl agrees to it because  _of course_ she does. At this point, Toni could ask her for the moon and Cheryl would be knocking on NASA’s door in the morning asking about prices and property value. She’d give Toni the world gift wrapped. And all because she almost lost her; she just can’t bear the idea of making her girlfriend go unhappy, having Toni feel like she doesn’t have enough.

  
“Are you okay?” Toni whispers.

  
Cheryl nods numbly as she reapplies the bandage to Toni’s abdomen, “Yeah, just trying to focus. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  
“It doesn’t hurt. It’s nice.” Toni assures her, but her smile dies away into a wince as she leans back against the counter. “Maybe nice is an overkill, but it isn’t horrible.”

  
“It is for me.” Cheryl mumbles as she finishes and steps back. “Do you need help putting a shirt on?”

  
“I’m okay.”

  
With a quick nod, Cheryl busies herself with cleaning up and washing her hands while Toni struggles her way into one of Cheryl’s oversized pajama shirts. As soon as they finish, Toni is slowly moving towards the bed while Cheryl lingers a few paces behind with a frown. Toni hums with happiness as she lays back on the bed and opens her arms, and Cheryl is quick to crawl upon the mattress until she can successfully curl herself around her girlfriend. A sigh leaves her as she reaches for Toni’s t-shirt and slowly inches the material up until her fingers meet soft skin while she zeroes in on the sight of the bandage.

  
Cheryl stares at the white guaze on Toni’s torso and feels all her fears intensify. She knew what she was getting into when she fell for her Serpent, but seeing the damage that can be done leaves her breathless. With a shudder of a sigh, Cheryl lays on the bed and slowly trails her fingers over the bandage and bounces it along the jagged marks of the stitches. This scar will always be a reminder to her, a reminder to how quickly her happiness can be ripped away; it reminds her to actually take a moment and enjoy what she has.

  
“I could’ve lost you…”

  
Toni glances down at her, “I know, babe.”

  
“I almost  _lost_ you.” Cheryl whispers as she scoots lower to pepper kisses around the bandages. “He almost took you away from me.”

  
“But he didn’t.” Toni points out as she scratches lightly at Cheryl’s scalp. “It’s going to be okay, Cher. I’m gonna be okay. I know this is hard and you’re trying to deal, but I…”

  
“Run away with me.” Cheryl breathes out against the warm skin of Toni’s abdomen. “We can just… _go_. I don’t care where, I just want to know that you’re safe. I want you as far from this lifestyle as I can get you. I want us to start over.”

  
Toni is silent for a long moment, “It’d be so easy to say yes, to just grab everything and go. And you know what? I would be happy because I was with you, but a part of me would die. I’d be leaving my entire family behind.”

  
“You’d be safe.” Cheryl whispers as tears gather in her eyes. “I wouldn’t have to wait up for you till two in the morning, I wouldn’t need to ice your black eyes, I wouldn’t dread every phone call, and you’d always be in one piece.”

  
“Maybe physically. But emotionally? Cher, I would be in shambles.” Toni admits. “I love you with everything that I am, and if you really want to run away than we can…”

  
“I just don’t want to lose you.” Cheryl snaps as she tries to swallow around the lump in her throat. “I just want you away from the Serpents. I know they’re your family, and I would never want to take you away from that but I just want to keep you safe.  Is that too much to ask? For you to be safe?”

  
“Baby, you can’t put me in a bubble. You can’t protect me forever.” Toni sighs as she pulls Cheryl’s hand to her lips. “I’m going to be fine, I promise. You just have to trust me.”

  
Cheryl slowly tilts her head, “It isn’t you that I don’t trust. It’s everyone else. You’re my  _baby_ , I’m supposed to protect you.”

 

The words are meant to be playful, soft but instead the floodgates open and her sobs come out of nowhere. Beside her, Toni goes rigid and Cheryl hears her girlfriend’s soft voice but all Cheryl can focus on is the panic that tightens her chest. Each cry is harsher than the last, and Toni’s touch is gentle as she scratches at her back. Cheryl doesn’t know how long she cries, but once she finishes her throat feels raw and her head throbs. Every fear is poured into her sobs, and every heartbreak she has suffered settles deep in her bones. Toni is so good, so pure, and Cheryl won’t be able to live through losing her; she finally has forever in front of her, but it seems like every day the chances of it grows slimer.

  
“Hey, I’m here. I’m okay.” Toni whispers as she holds Cheryl to her. “I’m going to be fine, Cher. I’m home. I’m  _safe_. Don’t cry, baby.”

  
“You’re just so stupid.” Cheryl sobs out. “Who steps in front of a knife?”

  
“I didn’t step in front of it, per say. It was merely shoved into me.” Toni replies as she brushes a lock of hair from Cheryl’s face. “But, sweetheart, this comes with the territory. I’m in a gang.”

  
“Well, it was hot in theory.” Cheryl grumbles as she pulls away from Toni and quickly wipes at her tears. “You don’t know what it was like getting that call, what it was like seeing you lying so defenseless in that hospital bed.”

  
Toni hesitates, “Do you still love me?”

  
“Of course, you idiot. I knew what I was getting into when I fell for you, it’s just hard sometimes.” Cheryl sighs as she sees the look of fear in Toni’s eyes. “Just stop stepping in front of knives or else you’re going to find yourself very single.”

  
“Once again, didn’t step in front of it.” Toni grumbles as she reaches up to wipe Cheryl’s tears away. “Are you going to be okay?”

  
“I’ve gone through a lot, and I’ve lived through it. I’ve come out stronger.” Cheryl sniffles as she presses her cheek into Toni’s hand. “But if I lost you, I won’t live through that. I can’t.”

 

“Remember what I told you? You won’t. I wouldn’t do that, I wouldn’t leave you. I’m here for good, babe.” Toni assures her as she tilts her head. “And school? Are you going to be okay when I go back next week?”

  
“I’ll be fine. I’m more concerned about you.” Cheryl admits. “Those vultures have no sense of dignity and I don’t want them to lay a dirty finger on you. And they’ll try, I know them.”

  
“Well, lucky for me I have my very own protection squad.” Toni smirks. “And it’s led by my  _very_ protective girlfriend who has way too much fire running through her veins.”

  
“I protect the people I love.” Cheryl huffs. “And I happen to love you  _a lot_.”

  
“Ditto.”

  
Cheryl scowls, “ _Ditto_? Excuse me?”

  
“Alright, alright.” Toni chuckles as she wraps a gentle hand around Cheryl’s chin. “I love you, too. So much that it hurts.”

  
“That’s better.” Cheryl whispers as she leans forward to press their lips together. “Are you ready for your pain killers?”

  
Toni whines against Cheryl’s lips, “They make me sleepy.”

  
“Well, I could go for a nap.” Cheryl shrugs as she gives Toni one last peck and draws away. “So, pain killers and snuggles?”

  
“Fine.” Toni sighs. “Pain killers and snuggles.”

  
-

  
“I got it. Stay in the car.”

  
Toni rolls her eyes with a smile, “Cheryl, I’m fine.”

  
“Sure.” Cheryl chirps as she slides from the driver’s seat and hurries to open the passenger door. “I’m not sure what your definition of  _fine_ is, but this is definitely not it. You were stabbed, Toni.  _Stabbed_. Like, a blade went through those luscious abs.”

  
“Cher,” Toni laughs, but she immediately grimaces at the sudden movement. “It’s been a few weeks, I’m fine. The doctor gave me the okay to get back to life, and that’s all I want to do.”

  
Cheryl pouts and offers her hand, “And you’re more than welcome to return to your normal life so long as it doesn’t involve any Serpent business.”

  
“Scouts honor, babe.” Toni assures her as she allows Cheryl to help her from the car. “But once the doc gives me the okay for physical activity then I want my bike back.”

  
“Absolutely not.” Cheryl sneers.

  
“Baby, I  _need_ my bike. Sweet Pea is going go destroy it and I put a lot of work into it.” Toni reminds her. “I know him, he’s going to take it for a joy ride and crash it. He’s obsessed with my engine, it’s better than his and my bike drives smoother.”

  
“Fine. I’ll have your bike dropped off at the house that way you can keep an eye on it. I’ll even let you do a few laps around the grounds.” Cheryl sighs, but she holds up a hand as Toni beams. “But not until you get the okay from your doctor.”

  
“That could weeks.” Toni whines.

  
“Honey, he said that you have to avoid physical activity for no more than two weeks.” Cheryl reminds her with a soft smile. “So long as we keep an eye on the wound, you should be okay.”

  
“Tiny!”

  
Toni turns as Sweet Pea crosses the quad, “Pea!”

  
“I’m gonna pick you up.” Sweet Pea warns as he rushes towards her.

  
“Do it, you coward.” Toni orders.

  
“I missed you.” Sweet Pea chuckles as he reaches for her, but Cheryl steps between them. “I just wanna give her a hug. No punches. I swear.”

  
“Absolutely not. You’ll squeeze her so hard her wound might pop back open.” Cheryl scolds as she looks between them. “You two are to refrain from any violence until you’re healed.”

  
Toni pouts in frustration, “Babe…”

  
“Don’t babe me, you’re back at school and getting your bike returned…what more do you want? You’re still healing.” Cheryl points out. “Excuse me if I don’t want your gigantor best friend tackling you.”

  
Sweet Pea snorts, “She’s got a point.”

  
“No fair. You can’t gang up on me.” Toni whines.

  
“Adorable when she does that, huh?” Sweet Pea teases.

  
Cheryl rolls her eyes, “Oh,  _absolutely_.”

  
“I don’t appreciate you ganging up on me. In fact, I’m going to go find Fangs. He’ll have my back.” Toni declares as she tilts her chin up. “You two can hang back here and keep talking shit.”

  
“Oh baby…”

  
Toni narrows her eyes, “Don’t call me baby.”

  
“No, no.” Cheryl scoffs as she playfully wags her finger at her girlfriend. “I’m not calling you baby, I’m calling you  _a_ baby. Your pout is adorable, but  _so_ not working on me.”

  
“It  _always_ works on you!”

  
“Okay. Enough of this mushy shit.” Sweet Pea jumps in as he scrunches his nose. “Can we just escort her in already?”

  
Toni arches an eyebrow, “Escort?”

  
“Oh. You didn’t tell her?” Sweet Pea smirks, and Cheryl immediately tenses. “Your girlfriend has a security detail set up for you, a Serpent lurking in every corner. She doesn’t want to risk one of those Bull bitches getting their hands on you.”

  
“What?” Toni snorts. “Like I’m afraid of them.”

  
“That’s what I tried to tell her.” Sweet Pea shrugs, and Cheryl flashes him a seething glare. “What? It’s true! She’s a Serpent, Red. Those douchebags are like puppies compared to what we deal with.”

  
Cheryl gestures to Toni’s stomach, “Believe me, I’m well aware of what you guys deal with.”

  
“Will it make you feel better if I allow the boys to play bodyguard all day?” Toni asks with a lopsided grin that only widens when Cheryl nods. “Fine. But just today, alright? Tomorrow everything goes back to semi-normal.”

  
“Fine. But if they mess with you today then I have no problem getting suspended again.” Cheryl warns as she presses a soft kiss to Toni’s forehead. “And I really do mean that.”

  
“When did you become such a scraper?” Toni laughs as she leans into Cheryl. “You’re supposed to be a princess.”

  
“Sometimes princesses like to get their diamonds dirty.” Cheryl hums as she ducks her head to hover her lips over Toni’s. “Is that okay with you?”

  
Toni nods as she lifts her head to nuzzle a kiss against Cheryl’s lips, “It’s okay with me.”

  
“Good.” Cheryl whispers. “I love you.”

  
“I love you more.” Toni grins.

  
“Oh, I know.” Cheryl chirps as she pulls away from Toni and flicks her hair over her shoulder. “I need to go, I need to check on the Vixens. Toodles, my love. I’ll text you after first period!”

  
Sweet Pea chuckles as Cheryl struts off, “Your girl is something else, T.”

  
“Yeah.” Toni beams. “She’s absolutely sensational.”


	9. hold me now

“I told you that it wasn’t a good idea, that he’s grieving, but he told me that he wants to go on a date. He wants it to be real.” Kevin whispers with wide, excited eyes. “What do I do?”

 

“Well, there’s no simple answer…”

 

Cheryl pretty much blacks out as Veronica begins to talk. It’s Saturday afternoon and for some strange reason, her girlfriend isn’t with her. She tries to remember why they thought spending the day apart was a good idea, something about the heart growing fonder with distance. Honestly? Cheryl is kicking herself for making that ridiculous statement; no matter where Toni is, her heart is pretty damn fond of the woman who owns it.

 

“Cheryl, what do you think?” Veronica asks.

 

Cheryl blinks herself back to reality, “I agree with everything you said.”

 

“You weren’t even listening.” Veronica points out with a playful roll of her eyes. “How do you know I didn’t just say that I was going to sell your girlfriend back to the Land of Oz?”

 

“What are you trying to imply?” Cheryl demands.

 

“She’s obviously a munchkin who somehow escaped the clutches of Glinda.” Veronica shrugs. “I could fit her in my pocket.”

 

“She isn’t going anywhere.” Cheryl declares. “And if you tried to sell her back then I’d obviously just buy Oz. Nobody gets to own my girlfriend.”

 

Kevin smiles adoringly, “You love her so much.”

 

“I do.” Cheryl nods. “And that is why I’m cutting this lovely afternoon short. I miss her and I would very much like to see her.”

 

“Oh, we don’t mind hanging out with her.” Kevin assures her as he turns his attention to his phone. “I have been _dying_ to ask where she got those studded boots from.”

 

Veronica smirks as Cheryl’s eyes narrow, “I don’t think she’s up for sharing Toni today, Kev. We’re being kicked out.”

 

“At least someone gets it.” Cheryl hums. “I enjoyed our time together, but I really just want Toni to come over and sleep with me.”

 

Kevin gags, “Gross.”

 

“I’m serious.” Cheryl grins as she grabs her phone from the bedside table. “Now, you know your way out. I’ll see you Monday. Toodles, loves.”

 

“I can’t believe she’s kicking us out just so she can bone Toni.” Kevin pouts. “I’ll remember this, Cheryl. I am _hurt._ ”

 

“Come on, Kevin,” Veronica giggles as she pushes him towards the door. “I’ll buy you a milkshake for all your pain.”

 

“At least _you_ love me.” Kevin sniffles.

 

Cheryl rolls her eyes as they disappear, “Drama queen. And that’s coming from _me_.”

 

-

 

“Ah, fuck you!”

 

“Watch it, Topaz. You almost blew me up.”

 

“Fangs won’t stop...fuck you, you dick. We’re on the _same team_!” Toni growls as she gives Sweet Pea a hard nudge.

 

“Man, you guys suck.” Fangs chuckles with an amused shake of his head. “I thought if I let you guys team up that it’d be more of a challenge, but you still can’t beat me.”

 

“Fuck off.” Sweet Pea huffs.

 

“Gah! Sweets, what the hell? You just blew up my fucking car.” Toni whines. “I never want to be on a team with you again, you fucking hamburger. How the fuck do you just blow my shit up like that?”

 

Sweet Pea bursts into laughter, “You call me a hamburger and then follow it with more cursing? You’re too cute, Tiny.”

 

“I am not _cute._ ” Toni flushes. “I’m a badass.”

 

“I highly doubt your Northsider would call you a badass. I’ve seen you with your precious princess, you are a complete dork.” Fangs smirks as he swerves into Sweet Pea’s character. “You’ve lost your B card, dude.”

 

“At least I’ve got a girlfriend, a lot more than I can say for the two of you single bozos.” Toni points out as she mashes her buttons. “And my girl knows I’m a total badass.”

 

The sound of a ping causes Toni to pause and she immediately drops her controller as she fumbles for her phone. Beside her, Sweet Pea watches with eyes that shine with mirth while Fangs struggles to hold back a loud laugh. It’s near impossible to stay silent as they watch Toni finally dig her phone from her jacket pocket only to drop it and lunge eagerly for it. It’s hard for them to adjust to this side of Toni, the side that drops everything just to answer a text from her girlfriend (a girlfriend who has her own private text tone, mind you).

 

**My Baby: Come over. I want to sleep with you.**

 

“Gag.” Sweet Pea scoffs.

 

Toni flashes him a glare, “Watch it.”

 

“What a formal way to ask for a booty call.” Fangs snorts. “Your girl talks like she was raised by Shakespeare. Although, it’s a lot better than some ass texting you some shit like come over so we can fuck.”

 

“Good point.” Sweet Pea nods as he turns his attention back to their game. “Gotta say, Blossom is a definite improvement since your last one. What was his name Jacob? Jackson?”

 

“Greyson. His name was Greyson.” Toni mumbles as she stands to grab her stuff. “And he _was_ an ass, but you two treated him like trash.”

 

“We know a garbage can when we see one.” Fangs shrugs. “Where are you going? We still have ten minutes left in the game.”

 

“Sorry, boys,” Toni sighs. “Babe needs me.”

 

Sweet scrunches his nose, “Yuck. Have fun with your booty call. Call us when you’re done and we can meet up for some pool at the Wyrm.”

 

“Not a booty call!” Toni calls over her shoulder.

 

“Sure.” Fangs nods.

 

“Of course it’s not.” Sweet Pea laughs.

 

“Bye, bitches!”

 

“She’s totally going to get laid.” Fangs murmurs as he focuses his attention on the game while Toni slips from the trailer.

 

Sweet Pea gives a lopsided grin, “Oh, most definitely.”

 

-

 

Cheryl smiles as she feels the bed dip before a warm hand slides up her bare calf. Immediately, her eyes close as lips dance along her shoulder. As soon as Toni is hovering over her, Cheryl rolls onto her back and fists leather hard enough to pull Toni down onto her. Just like that, everything melts away as Cheryl presses her lips to Toni until her lungs burn from neglect. With one last quick peck, Cheryl huffs as she pushes at the leather on Toni’s shoulder while settling back into her pillow.

 

“Miss me?” Toni smirks.

 

Cheryl peeks an eye open to watch as her girlfriend sheds her jacket, “Of course I did, that goes without saying. I don’t like having days away from you.”

 

“Why did we think that was a good idea again?” Toni frowns.

 

“I don’t know, but it’s never happening again.” Cheryl declares. “Now, take off your shoes and come hold me. I wanna nap.”

 

“The boys saw your text, they’re convinced this was a booty call.” Toni snorts.

 

“Kevin and Veronica assumed the same thing. If only they knew that it just meant that I wanted cuddles and a nap.” Cheryl grins. “Hurry up with those shoes, Topaz.”

 

“Gimme a second, these jeans are not napping material.” Toni grumbles as she kicks her jeans aside. “Fuck. That is _so_ much better.”

 

Cheryl hums happily as Toni crawls in behind her and drops an arm around her waist, “Thank you for coming over, TT.”

 

“Always, babe.” Toni whispers. “I love you.”

 

“I love you more.” Cheryl yawns.

 

“Go to sleep, baby.” Toni orders as she tightens her arm around Cheryl’s waist. “After our nap, we can totally turn this into a booty call.”

 

Cheryl giggles in delight, “Whatever you want.”

 

With that, they both drift off.


	10. you look happier (you do)

Veronica loves Cheryl.

 

Much to the shock and displeasure of some, Veronica has found a home in Cheryl Blossom. They’ve found a home in each other; two broken pieces cut from the same cloth and stitched together in a beautiful blend. So, Veronica rebuilds her entire fucked up world in Cheryl’s hands. She pushes away her past and starts a new life in Riverdale, builds that life beside Cheryl. They’re not perfect by any means, but they’re _something_ and Veronica is happy with that. And Cheryl is too. They break down each other’s walls and offer light to the dark parts of themselves that go bump in the night. They take those shattered pieces of themselves and slowly glue them back together. It’s perfect. They’re good, they’re _solid._

 

Except they’re not.

 

They slowly begin to chip when the Southside slither their way into the Northside. They begin to crumble when Cheryl finds new friends, smiles for reasons that don’t involve Veronica. And eventually, within a few months time, they explode. And the person holding the dynamite is the princess of the Serpents, Toni Topaz. Toni, with her bright smile and wide brown eyes, slowly begins to pry Veronica’s fingers open so she can slowly and carefully pluck each piece of Cheryl’s heart from her grasp. She takes Cheryl’s friendship from her, her smile, her laugh, and everything that makes Veronica’s world rotate; and Veronica wants to hate her, but she can’t because Toni doesn’t even know she’s doing it.

 

On a Friday, after a grueling Vixens practice, Veronica changes in silence as the locker room slowly begins to empty out. She expects Cheryl to approach her and kiss her neck, whisper that they’re finally alone. Instead her girlfriend is straddling one of the benches with her phone in her hands and a look of _something_ shining in her eyes. Veronica feels it coming before it happens, she feels the exact moment Cheryl releases her. She tries to steady herself for the inevitable, and Cheryl has an unreadable expression as she stands and slowly approaches her. Veronica drinks her in, takes in the red shine of her lips and how her eyelashes pillow so softly on her cheeks when she looks down. Veronica reaches for Cheryl’s hand and squeezes, but her hand stays limp in her grasp and Veronica knows they’ve reached their end.

 

“Ronnie…”

 

“You don’t have to say anything, I know.” Veronica assures her as she bites her lower lip. “All I want to know is _why_?”

 

“It doesn’t feel right anymore. We were...it was so good, and you changed _so_ much of my life but I can’t do this anymore.” Cheryl whispers as she looks down at their hands. “You and I had a good thing, but that’s over. I want you to be happy, Ronnie. I just...I can’t be the reason for that happiness anymore. I’m sorry.”

 

Veronica holds onto her hand for as long as she can as Cheryl steps towards the door, “Cheryl, wait. Please, don’t go…”

 

Cheryl looks back at her and Veronica sees that the spark she used to put in those dark eyes is gone, all she sees now is pity. Veronica loves her. God she loves Cheryl so much, and nobody should fault her for trying; she wants to have Cheryl for as long as she can. But Cheryl pulls her hand away, and it sorta feels like somehow she is taking that last piece of her heart from Veronica’s hands so she can offer it to someone else. And she knows exactly who that someone is. Veronica can only hope and pray that Toni takes care of it, she’ll never know and Veronica will never tell, but every time she wraps her arms around Cheryl then she’ll be holding her whole world.

 

“Please don’t do this…”

 

“Goodbye, Ronnie.”

 

And just like that, her life shatters alongside her heart.

 

-

 

Three weeks later, Veronica sees Cheryl kiss Toni against the lockers in the hallway; Betty tries to keep her from watching, but it’s like a car crash...and she’s the unsuspecting victim.

 

-

 

Cheryl is so happy, beyond it.

 

Of course Veronica hears the fine tuned gossip that comes from the corners of the hallway, and she knows the school is still trying to find the suspect who shattered the bathroom mirror. Veronica feels like she’s slowly losing her normally level headed attitude; it seems like every rational thought she has goes out the window where Cheryl is concerned. A dull ache throbs evenly in her chest every time she sees them together, every time she is forced to endure the PDA filled show they put on. Sometimes Veronica wonders if that is the reason why Cheryl left her, Veronica really has never been big on public affections yet Cheryl had wanted so badly to shower her in it.

 

Well, now she gets her wish. Toni never fails to kiss her when they pass each other in the halls. Cheryl wraps her arms around Toni from behind when they’re standing in front of their friends lockers and gossiping. Fingers hook possessively in belt loops, fingers twist together, hands glide smoothly over lower backs and tuck into back pockets, soft forehead kisses are given in parting; if they can find a way to touch, no matter how small or worthless, their school has found that they will. She misses that, she wonders if Toni knows what she took from her; she wonders if Toni even cares she destroyed her entire world.

 

Veronica sometimes lays in bed and wonders how she didn’t see this coming. Her and Cheryl? They weren’t meant to be. She was just a stepping stone in Cheryl’s world, one that brought her closer to Toni. But how is she supposed to forget the moments they shared? The kisses in the rain. The soft whispers of love in her warm bed while snow melted just outside her window. Veronica sighs as she walks through the empty hallways of Riverdale High, but she pauses as she hears a familiar laugh. As she rounds the corner, she is quick to flatten herself back as she makes out the shape of Toni leaned against the wall with Cheryl in front of her.

 

“I feel terrible…”

 

“You didn’t cheat, Cheryl. You did nothing wrong. You can’t help who you fall for.” Toni whispers as she sweeps a strand of red from brown eyes. “We don’t have to do this, be together. If you want to walk away, I won’t try to make you…”

 

“I’m not going anywhere.” Cheryl cuts in, and her tone is so sure and firm. “I want to be with you, TT. I hate that Ronnie got caught up in the middle of this, but _you_ are who I want to be with.”

 

Veronica sucks in a breath of surprise as her eyes flutter close; Cheryl’s words hurt, they cut deep enough to make her bleed. The silence stretches on and Veronica peeks around the corner in time to watch as Toni tucks a hand into the front of Cheryl’s high waisted jeans before she pulls her forward so their bodies are pressed together. They both look completely at peace; Veronica is both mildly surprised and completely heartbroken.

 

“So, the dance?” Cheryl whispers.

 

“I’ll be there. You asked me to go.” Toni reminds her with a lopsided smile. “I’m more than happy to show off my beautiful arm candy.”

 

Cheryl ducks closer to Toni, “I love you.”

 

Veronica hears it all in her voice; she hears the promise of happily ever after.

 

“I love you, too.”

 

Veronica abruptly turns around and leaves; she feels as if she has just intruded on something private. Yet she also feels like she just witnessed the beginning of forever between the pair.

 

-

 

The Fall Formal is full of students and Veronica hangs back while she sips at spiked punch and tries to pretend she isn’t bitter. From where she stands, she has a perfect view of Cheryl in her flowing red gown and her shimmering fiery locks. She looks so beautiful, so much like the girl who taught Veronica that love isn’t so scary after all. Cheryl is that same girl, but she doesn’t look at Veronica the way she used to. She doesn’t reach for her hand when she’s scared. She doesn’t kiss her against the warm bricks of Thistlehouse. She doesn’t love Veronica, not anymore. Not like she loves the tiny Serpent with bright pink highlights.

 

“You look depressed.”

 

Veronica tenses as Sweet Pea joins her, “I’m not.”

 

“Methinks the lady is lying.” Sweet Pea smirks as he watches Toni join Cheryl. “I can see the jealousy written all over your face.”

 

“They look beautiful together.” Veronica notes as she sees the way Toni’s black dress blends with the red in Cheryl’s. “I suppose they were just meant to be together.”

 

“I agree.” Sweet Pea hums. “You should be happy for her, for Cheryl. Toni loves the fuck out of her, and she treats her right. Sometimes things just don’t work out. And you had to have known a Lodge and Blossom just weren’t meant to be, that’s like handing a toddler a detonator. Eventually, everything would’ve blown up.”

 

Veronica smiles bitterly, “You’re probably right.”

 

-

 

Cheryl makes a huge deal out of her own birthday.

 

Veronica isn’t surprised, and she reluctantly tags along with her friends to Cheryl’s birthday. She sits around with a warm red cup of beer and a heavy heart, the entire thing makes her sick to her stomach. She doesn’t want to be here, she wants to be far away from the sight of Toni toasting Cheryl and looking her like she hung all the stars in the sky. By the time Cheryl is tearing into her presents, Veronica is silently planning her escape. Everyone gives her eccentric, exciting gifts and Veronica merely tightens her grasp on the jewelry box in her pocket; her gift to Cheryl was going to be a promise ring, but now it’s a diamond necklace with her birthstone. As soon as everyone has given their gifts, Toni clears her throat and suddenly all of Cheryl’s attention is placed completely on her.

 

“Now, it’s time for the most important gift. For my beautiful girl.” Toni beams as she offers a small box to Cheryl. “Enjoy.”

 

Cheryl is careful as she slides her fingers under the neatly wrapped gift, “You didn’t have to get me anything, TT.”

 

“Oh please, I like my sex life the way it is.” Toni scoffs, and Veronica cringes as a quick glance is thrown her way.

 

“What is this?” Cheryl laughs as she opens the box and stares down into the box. “Uh, babe...were you out of gift ideas? Or are you just that lazy?”

 

“Cute.” Toni chuckles.

 

Kevin bounces excitedly, “What is it?”

 

“It’s my passport.” Cheryl replies as she picks the small booklet up before she frowns as she looks down into the box. “What? _No_! Baby, you didn’t! This had to have cost a fortune, babe. Oh my God!”

 

Inside the box is plane tickets to England, to a place where she and Cheryl always talked about going. The thought makes her ache so much that she has to settle a hand on her chest in an attempt to calm her heart. Veronica doesn’t linger much longer as Cheryl attacks her girlfriend with kisses and bends her backwards against her couch while Kevin throws paper balls at them.

 

-

 

Veronica pawns the necklace, much like she did with the promise ring.

 

-

 

When Spring Break ends, Cheryl and Toni return from England glowing with happiness. Veronica spends an hour crying in the bathroom when she hears the whispers of the ring on Cheryl’s finger. She sees it a few days later when Cheryl is swapping books in her locker. She isn’t the only one to notice the ring, but she might be the only one who wishes she was the one who put it there.

 

-

 

“I think you got the historian wrong…”

 

“But I’m almost positive.”

 

“I don’t need it to be _almost_ positive, Ethel. I need you to be sure, this project is like ten percent of our final grade.” Toni reminds her. “So, go back through and find the right answer.”

 

Veronica slowly lowers her pencil, “I think I have most of the notes about Thomas Jefferson, and then I’ll move onto the next section.”

 

“We’ll see if Ethel can find the right information about his family.” Toni sighs as she skims through her text book. “Y’know, I was hoping we’d get Chuck in our group. At least he looks for answers and…”

 

“You don’t have to do that.” Veronica mumbles as she pauses in her writing to look over the top of her thick rimmed glasses.

 

“Do what?” Toni frowns.

 

“Make awkward small talk.” Veronica replies as she goes back to writing. “Just because I’m Cheryl’s ex doesn’t mean…”

 

“You being her ex has nothing to do with any of this. In fact, _Cheryl_ has nothing to do with this.” Toni scoffs with a slight look of displeasure. “I just thought maybe we could have a conversation.”

 

“I mean, we can.” Veronica shrugs as she turns her head to meet Toni’s gaze. “We can talk about why you pursued Cheryl while knowing she was in a committed relationship.”

 

“I didn’t…”

 

“Sure.” Veronica scoffs.

 

“Look, Cheryl and I were inevitable.”

 

Veronica doesn’t answer because she knows how right Toni is.

 

-

 

Veronica decides to go back to New York.

  
Cheryl gave her a reason to stay, but Cheryl is long gone. The roots she planted were dug up, that home she was building was torn down piece by piece. She has tried to be happy for Cheryl and Toni, but she can’t. Not anymore. So, she decides to be the bigger woman and say goodbye to the couple; mostly she just wants to get one last look at Cheryl, she wants one last look at the woman she still loves. But by the time she reaches Thistlehouse, the couple is fumbling their way out of Cheryl’s classic car and Cheryl is already unbuttoning Toni’s shirt as they hurry up the stairs. As she stands at the gate, Veronica watches until Cheryl gets the door unlocked and they spill into the house while their laughter spills loudly out onto the street up until the door slams shut.

Veronica walks away from Cheryl Blossom without saying goodbye.


	11. we keep this love in a photograph

Toni Topaz is basically surviving off coffee and good luck. She’s three years into medical school, and she already wants to throw her hands up and admit defeat. This isn’t really what she wanted for herself anyway, she has always pictured herself as a photographer or working in a greasy motorcycle shop. But life mapped out a different path for her, and she decided to follow it. With a yawn, she pushes into the little diner that sells the best cup of joe in this part of her school and tosses her bag down before she looks to the front of the shop and stops short at the sight of the woman scribbling in one of her notebooks.

 

Fiery hair. Perfectly styled clothes. Dark brown eyes. Lips that twist into dangerous smiles. It’s the same woman that has been giving Toni heart palpitations since she saw her for the first time. With a terrified squeak, Toni dives towards her bag and frantically digs through it until she can find her phone and quickly pull up her group chat. Her fingers work quick across the keyboard and she bites her lip as she sees the chat come alive with her friends.

 

**Toni: She’s here again!!!**

 

**Jughead: And here we go.**

 

**Sweets‍‍‍: talk to her, tiny!**

 

**Toni: And say what?!?!**

 

**Fangs: Something coherent?**

 

**Ronnie: Hi. I’m Toni Topaz. I’ve been stalking you for ages and I really want to take you out on a date.**

 

**Toni: I haven’t been stalking her!**

 

**Sweets: OMG she’s so hot! OMG she smiled at me today!**

 

**Fangs: I want to get lost in her eyes. She has an amazing figure. Nobody should look that good in red.**

 

**Ronnie: She has red hair. Who has red hair that perfect? She probably smells like roses.**

 

**Jughead: Her lips look so soft. Her hair looks like silk. Her skin is so smooth. She’s beautiful.**

 

**Fangs: My personal favorite is the one where she confessed her undying love to us.**

 

Toni rolls her eyes as she glares at her phone while it continue to vibrate in her hand. She sometimes hates her friends, but she also knows they’re kind of right; she has been obsessing over the beautiful woman who walks in the diner and begins her to study every day at five forty five. With a hard sigh, Toni subtly lifts her phone as she opens her camera app and focuses it on the woman skimming her textbooks. As soon as it is lined up perfectly, Toni snaps the picture and a horror bubbles low in her gut as the bright flash dances around her.

 

It only takes three seconds for brown eyes to find her, and Toni swallows hard as she sees those soft lips turn up into a smirk. She considers running, the last thing she wants is for this stranger to come over and say something about how she’s a freak; Toni doesn’t think she could stomach it if her perfect angel unknowingly broke her heart. But Toni is a Topaz and their luck has always been shit, and soon the woman is sliding from her chair and crossing the dirty floor of the diner with quick ticks of her high heels before she slides across from Toni.

 

“You know,” The woman begins as she balances her chin in her hand. “If you _really_ want a picture that bad then you should at least make it flattering. That isn’t my good side.”

 

“I don’t think it’s possible for you to have a bad side.” Toni mumbles, and her cheeks color as eyebrows rise. “I-I mean um...hi, I’m Toni Topaz and I’ve been stalking you for ages and I really want to take you out.”

 

The stranger gaps, “Wow.”

 

“No! Wait! That came out _so_ creepy and wrong. I was just quoting something my friend suggested I say and once it was out of my mouth I realized how _horrible_ it probably sounded. I don’t normally act this stupid.” Toni groans. “Anyway, I’m Toni. Nice to meet you.”

 

“Cheryl Blossom.” The woman smiles.

 

“Cheryl.” Toni repeats as a grin slowly slides across her face while she shyly ducks her head away. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

 

“Oh, I think fate would have eventually brought us together. You basically live here.” Cheryl reminds her with a smirk as she tilts her head. “Now, how about you take that picture?”

 

Toni blinks in awe, “Are you sure?”

 

Cheryl gives a dramatic pose, “I’m ready for my close up, Toni Topaz. Shoot me like one of your French girls.”

 

Toni bursts into a fit of giggles as she pulls her camera app open and begins to snap playful pictures. By the time she is done, her photo album is jam packed of random shots and her contacts have one new number. Cheryl leaves her with plans for a date the next evening, and Toni fidgets in delight as the woman sweeps from the diner with a glance over her shoulder. A look of satisfaction appears on her face as she feels her phone dance against her hand before she sees the multiple messages from their group chat.

 

**Jughead: T, are you there?**

 

**Sweets: she’s prob drowning in her drool.**

 

**Ronnie: Give her some credit…**

 

**Ronnie: She probably asked for a cup to drool in!**

 

**Sweets: Ouch. Good one, babe.**

 

And then Toni sends them her photo of Cheryl.

 

**Ronnie: Who is THAT?**

 

**Jughead: I understand your level of distraction now.**

 

**Fangs: That is one hot redhead…..**

 

**Ronnie: Wait...red hair...brown eyes...perfect smile...IT’S THE MYSTERIOUS STALKING VICTIM!**

 

**Toni: Her name is Cheryl. We have a date tomorrow night.**

 

Toni turns off her phone and beams; looks like she wasn’t such a complete goof after all. Her bad luck has finally paid off in the form of a date with her beautiful stranger.


	12. cupid’s arrow

“This is a bad idea.”

 

Toni chuckles against Cheryl’s neck, “Probably.”

 

“I don’t want those baboons to hear us, we’ll never live it down.” Cheryl moans even as her head tips to the side. “Fuck. Toni, if you don’t stop then this isn’t going to end well.”

 

“Oh, what is the big bad Blossom going to do to me?” Toni whispers as she pulls back to meet her girlfriend’s gaze. “Are you going to eat me up?”

 

“You’re a menace, Antoinette Crystal Topaz. And your sex drive is insane.” Cheryl hums as she fists the lapels of Toni’s leather jacket. “You’re lucky I find you irresistible.”

 

Toni softens as she cups Cheryl’s jaw, “I find you irresistible too, Cher.”

 

Cheryl merely arches an eyebrow as she roughly pulls down Toni’s jackets until it’s stuck at her elbows. With a groan of anticipation, Cheryl leads Toni back so she can hover her with a want shining in her dark eyes. Every kiss, every touch, every nip causes Toni’s hips to arch as she whines and pleads for Cheryl to just _touch_ her already. But it seems like her girlfriend is having more fun torturing her, having fun with the way her cherry red nails drag over flexing abs and play with the edge of her jeans. Finally, when Cheryl dips her fingers into Toni’s jeans, Toni manages to struggle her arms free before she wraps an arm around Cheryl’s waist and flips their positions.

 

Cheryl squeals as she finds her back against the stacked sleeping bags, “I was very much enjoying myself, Toni.”

 

“I’m sure you were.” Toni scoffs as she straddles her girlfriend’s hips. “I, on the other hand, was definitely not.”

 

“That’s because you’re impatient.” Cheryl points out with a pout. “Well, if you’re choosing to be on top then get to it.”

 

“Get to it?” Toni repeats as she pulls her hands away and falls back to rest her weight on Cheryl’s hips. “Cher, we’ve talked about that. It’s insulting when you tell me to _get to it_.”

 

“Babe, I didn’t mean…” Cheryl trails off as she sits up and balances Toni against her thighs. “I don’t see how we can make a situation like _this_ romantic. We’re camped out with three morons who are howling at the moon.”

 

Toni nods as her hands frame Cheryl’s face, “I told you we didn’t have to stay here, I don’t mind spending time at Thistlehouse.”

 

“I know, TT,” Cheryl sighs. “But this is where Sweet Pea and Fangs are, where most of your family is living. I know you don’t want to be too far from them, I don’t mind compromising.”

 

“Anyone ever tell you that you’re the best thing in this godawful town?” Toni snorts. “Because you are. And you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to _me_.”

 

Cheryl swallows hard as she cups the back of Toni’s neck and leads her into another kiss. As Toni slowly guides Cheryl back, they hear a harsh whistle and Toni gasps as she pulls away to look for the source of the sound. Immediately, Cheryl is on guard as Toni scrambles for her phone and flips on the flashlight to shine it around the tent. Cheryl furrows her brow in confusion as she sees a single arrow lying abandoned just inches away from where and Toni had been sitting only moments ago. Toni hisses in annoyance as she picks it up and looks to her girlfriend whose face glows with anger and frustration.

 

“What the fuck?” Toni growls.

 

Cheryl snatches the arrow, “That’s _my_ arrow, it came from _my_ bow. Someone literally almost killed you with this.”

 

“Babe…”

 

Toni sees the fire that crackles in Cheryl’s eyes as she stumbles out of the tent, and Toni scrambles after while trying to pull on her jacket. It doesn’t take them long to track down the laughter of Fangs and Sweet Pea as they search for another bow. It isn’t surprising that Cheryl is protective, and Toni definitely finds it hot, but she knows this certain gleam in those dark brown eyes. This is the gleam of someone who is ready to hurt, ready to avenge Toni in anyway she can. So, when Cheryl clears her throat and the boys fall silent, Toni can see the way Sweet Pea immediately flinches.

 

“What’s going on?” Jughead demands as he steps away from the fire.

 

“Toni and I were in her tent having a bit of a...rendezvous…”

 

Toni grabs the arrow carefully, “When this arrow shot right through. Three inches closer and we both would’ve died.”

 

“Oh come on, don’t be so dramatic…”

 

“Dramatic?” Cheryl repeats in a hiss. “You almost took out my girlfriend with an arrow from my own bow. If you’d like me to show you dramatic, then I happily will.”

 

Sweet Pea rolls his eyes, “I’m not scared of you or your bow, Red.”

 

“Oh? Is that so?” Cheryl scoffs as she takes a step forward, but Toni immediately catches her arm. “I’d appreciate it if you’d leave my bow alone, that was a gift from my brother.”

 

Fangs holds his hands up, “Sorry.”

 

“It won’t happen again.” Sweet Pea huffs. “We were only practicing our aim for the next quest. No big deal.”

 

“It’d be big deal if it shot through my head.” Toni mumbles as she leans into Cheryl’s side. “And why the hell would we need a real bow?”

 

Sweet Pea smirks, “We wanna take G&G into the real world.”

 

“Absolutely not.” Jughead scoffs.

 

“Why?” Fangs demands. “Other groups are doing it.”

 

“Tough.” Jughead responds with a shrug. “I’m the game master so _I_ decide when we go off board and take it into the real world.”

 

Sweet Pea rolls his eyes, “You’re the Serpent King, Jones. Isn’t that enough? We’re your foot soldiers in real life so now we have to be the same in the game? Down in the mud, taking all the risks?”

 

“Sweet Pea, we’re not starting this again. Cheryl, grab your bow.” Jughead orders as he keeps an eye on the other two Serpents. “Notch an arrow.”

 

“Jones, what are you doing?”

 

“Don’t worry about it.” Jughead snaps as he flashes a glare at Toni while he drops back against a tree with a soda can on his head. “Shoot it, Cheryl. Now.”

 

Cheryl looks to Toni, “What?”

 

“Do it, Dead Eye! Now!”

 

Toni opens her mouth to spew out a few words to Jughead about yelling at her girlfriend, but the arrow is already cutting through the air and lodging into the soda can. The entire air feels tense as Jughead reaches up to pull the arrow free and remove the soda can. Cheryl grabs her arrow as Jughead walks by and returns to her spot beside Toni as she drapes an arm around her shoulders. Toni sinks into her touch and turns her head to press kiss to her hand as she listens to Jughead order Sweet Pea to move to the tree.

 

“Hell no.” Sweet Pea sneers as he catches the soda can Jughead tosses his way. “You’re fucking crazy, Jones.”

 

“No, I’m game master. Which means it’s _my_ game and _my_ rules.” Jughead hisses. “You guys wanna go on a quest? Wanna prove you’re a badass? You’ll get your chance, but not until I say so. Don’t defy me again.”

 

Toni watches as Jughead storms off back to his tent, “Damn. That boy is getting way too wrapped up in this game, and if he ever yells at you again then I will personally cut his balls off.”

 

“We can always choose to back out of this, if you want.” Cheryl offers as she ducks her head to lean against Toni’s temple. “We don’t have to stay wrapped up in this.”

 

“We already are.” Toni sighs as she turns her head to meet Cheryl’s lips. “Something tells me we won’t be escaping anytime soon.”

 

Cheryl smiles sadly against her lips, “If you want out, just tell me. I promise we can pull out as soon as you feel uncomfortable.”

 

“I know, babe.” Toni nods. “I’m okay.”

 

As they stood their, Sweet Pea grumbling and the fire softly cracking, neither of them knew how deep into this game they would end up; the only plus side is that they at least have each other.


End file.
